A Key to Life? –Hubble Detects First Exoplanet Magnetic Field
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Using Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet data, researchers have identified the first signature of carbon ions surrounding exoplanet HAT-P-11b, a Neptune-sized planet 123 light-years from Earth. The charged carbon ions trace the extent of the exoplanet’s magnetosphere, which is sculpted by the host star’s stellar wind.