A team using the LOFAR radio telescope network reports the first radio detection of a coronal mass ejection on a star other than the Sun. The minute-long burst, recorded on May 16, 2016, came from the red dwarf StKM 1-1262 about 133 light-years away and was estimated to be at least 10,000 times stronger than typical solar storms. The result, published in Nature, suggests frequent powerful storms on red dwarfs could strip atmospheres from nearby exoplanets and reduce their habitability.
First Ever Stellar Storm Detected Beyond the Sun — Violent CME Found on Red Dwarf
A team using the LOFAR radio telescope network reports the first radio detection of a coronal mass ejection on a star other than the Sun. The minute-long burst, recorded on May 16, 2016, came from the red dwarf StKM 1-1262 about 133 light-years away and was estimated to be at least 10,000 times stronger than typical solar storms. The result, published in Nature, suggests frequent powerful storms on red dwarfs could strip atmospheres from nearby exoplanets and reduce their habitability.
04:45 AM, 11/13/2025Science
First Radio Detection of a Coronal Mass Ejection on a Star Other Than the Sun
A team of international astronomers has reported the first clear detection of a coronal mass ejection (CME) on a star beyond our Solar System. Using data from the European LOFAR radio telescope network, researchers identified a brief but extremely powerful radio burst on May 16, 2016, originating from the red dwarf StKM 1-1262, roughly 133 light-years away. The burst lasted about one minute and, after analysis, was interpreted as a stellar CME.
How the discovery was made
The team has been mining LOFAR observations since 2016 to study energetic, relatively steady radio sources such as black holes. By building a data-processing pipeline that also records activity from stars in the telescope's field of view, researchers later examined this background data and uncovered the short, intense burst in 2022.
Paris Observatory astronomer Cyril Tasse, a co-author of the study, said it marks the first detection of its kind on a star other than our own.
How extreme was the event?
Analysis indicates the stellar CME was at least 10,000 times more energetic than typical solar storms observed on the Sun. Such an explosion could, in principle, strip the atmosphere from planets located close to the star, making them hostile to life as we know it.
Why this matters for exoplanets
Red dwarfs — stars with roughly 10 to 50 percent of the Sun's mass — are the most common hosts of Earth-sized exoplanets. If intense magnetic activity and frequent, powerful CMEs are typical for red dwarfs, many nearby planets could lose their atmospheres or be exposed to harsh radiation, reducing their habitability.
Philippe Zarka, research director at the Paris Observatory and co-author, described the finding as inaugurating a new era for studying space weather in other star systems and its effects on planetary habitability.
Context for Earth
On our own planet, coronal mass ejections from the Sun can disrupt satellites and power grids and produce dramatic auroras. The discovery of a stellar CME beyond the Sun extends our understanding of stellar magnetic activity and highlights the need to consider space weather when assessing exoplanet environments.
Reference: The research was published in the journal Nature and is based on LOFAR radio observations.