If you watched Netflix's 3 Body Problem and came away thinking, “Maybe we should stop answering mysterious signals from space,” you might want to look away now. Astronomers have detected repeating radio bursts apparently coming from an exoplanet about 63 light-years from Earth. The planet, known as Beta Pictoris b, is a young gas giant orbiting a star called Beta Pictoris. The signals were detected using South Africa's powerful MeerKAT radio telescope, with observations suggesting that the radio emissions are coming from the planet itself rather than simply from its parent star. Before anyone starts preparing a welcome message for extraterrestrials, however, scientists say there is no evidence that the signals are from aliens. Instead, the bursts are believed to be connected to auroral activity produced by the planet's magnetic field — essentially a much more extreme version of the processes behind Earth's northern and southern lights. Still, the discovery is intriguing because radio emissions can reveal information about an exoplanet's magnetic field, atmosphere and interaction with its surrounding space environment. And this is where the 3 Body Problem jokes write themselves. In the Netflix series, humanity's decision to respond to an unexplained signal from another civilisation leads to consequences that are, to put it mildly, not ideal. Fortunately, Beta Pictoris b does not appear to be sending us a message. For now, scientists believe they are listening to a natural planetary phenomenon rather than receiving an interstellar “hello”. The discovery is also not yet the final word: the research still requires peer review and further observations to confirm the source and nature of the repeating bursts. So, no need to panic. But perhaps, just to be safe, don't reply to the planet.