<p>Yes, according to this <a href="http://news.discovery.com/space/alien-life-exoplanets/monstrous-aurora-detected-beyond-our-solar-system-150729.htm" rel="nofollow">recent news</a> an aurora has been found on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LSR_J1835%2B3259" rel="nofollow">brown dwarf</a> LSR J1835+3259 which is 18½ light years from here. I suppose that an aurora which is a million times more powerful than those on Earth comes together with some kind of van Allen Belts, but real astronomers maybe have more imagination. An M class brown dwarf is maybe not the typical "planet", but it's more like Jupiter than the Sun. (All planets certainly don't have it, the headline is confusing).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-11T07:59:08.800Z
2015-08-11T07:59:08.800Z
LocalFluff
<p>Mars does not have a magnetic field of any strength and so does not have a van Allen belt (and this is a serious problem for potential human exploration of the planet). Similarly, neither Venus nor Mercury (nor the Moon, which is arguably part of a two-planet system with the Earth) have a van Allen belt.</p>

<p>The gaseous giants do, however, have radiation belts which are analogous to Earth's van Allen belt.</p>

<p>Spotting aurorae on distant exoplanets would be an indication of a strong magnetic field and thus of the likelihood of a radiation belt. I am not aware that such aurorae have been detected but distant aurorae have been seen around a brown dwarf - a substellar object somewhat bigger than a planet (see <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jul/29/astronomers-find-aurora-a-million-times-brighter-than-the-northern-lights" rel="noreferrer">http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jul/29/astronomers-find-aurora-a-million-times-brighter-than-the-northern-lights</a>).</p>

<p>Alternatively, the radio emissions from high energy electrons trapped in planetary radiation belts might be detectable - this was how Jupiter's radiation belt was discovered around 60 years ago. Work seems to be underway to detect such radiation: <a href="https://skaoffice.atlassian.net/wiki/download/attachments/22183971/PoS-exopla-AASKA14.pdf?version=1&amp;modificationDate=1403003959989&amp;api=v2" rel="noreferrer">https://skaoffice.atlassian.net/wiki/download/attachments/22183971/PoS-exopla-AASKA14.pdf?version=1&amp;modificationDate=1403003959989&amp;api=v2</a> </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-09T19:36:40.977Z
The question was clearly about "distant planets in other solar systems"
adrianmcmenamin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-09T19:44:54.523Z
OK, I see. I misread the OP. The aurora you refer to was found on a brown dwarf, not a star (or a planet). But there is every reason to expect gas giant planets to have magnetospheres.
ProfRob
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-10T15:39:00.163Z
Auroras have been detected on Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus (big, pretty ones), and according to the article, even a small one on mars.   Source:  http://www.messagetoeagle.com/auroraalienworlds.php
userLTK
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-10T20:36:24.730Z
The question - and thus my answer - is about planets in other solar systems! How many times do I have to say this :)
adrianmcmenamin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-09T17:24:53.823Z
2015-08-12T14:09:40.357Z
2015-08-12T14:09:40.357Z
adrianmcmenamin
<p>Earth has the van Allen radiation belts. Which other planets have one? Can it be determined if distant planets in other solar systems have one? </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-08T11:04:51.297Z
A van Allen radiation belt requires a magnetic field, so, no, not all planets have them.    Source: http://science.jrank.org/pages/7144/Van-Allen-Belts-Radiation-belts-other-planets.html and http://anstd.ans.org/uncategorized/space-radiation-interplanetary-radiation-belts/
userLTK
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-09T19:23:12.637Z
What research have you done? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter#Magnetosphere  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn#Magnetosphere https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranus#Magnetosphere https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neptune#Magnetosphere
ProfRob
<planet>
Do all planets have a van Allen radiation belt?
nilo de roock
# Do all planets have a van Allen radiation belt?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-08-04)

Earth has the van Allen radiation belts. Which other planets have one? Can it be determined if distant planets in other solar systems have one?

**Tags:** planet

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: A van Allen radiation belt requires a magnetic field, so, no, not all planets have them.    Source: http://science.jrank.org/pages/7144/Van-Allen-Belts-Radiation-belts-other-planets.html and http://anstd.ans.org/uncategorized/space-radiation-interplanetary-radiation-belts/  
> **username_2**: What research have you done? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter#Magnetosphere  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn#Magnetosphere https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranus#Magnetosphere https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neptune#Magnetosphere  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-08-09. Score: 9 | Accepted answer

Mars does not have a magnetic field of any strength and so does not have a van Allen belt (and this is a serious problem for potential human exploration of the planet). Similarly, neither Venus nor Mercury (nor the Moon, which is arguably part of a two-planet system with the Earth) have a van Allen belt.

The gaseous giants do, however, have radiation belts which are analogous to Earth's van Allen belt.

Spotting aurorae on distant exoplanets would be an indication of a strong magnetic field and thus of the likelihood of a radiation belt. I am not aware that such aurorae have been detected but distant aurorae have been seen around a brown dwarf - a substellar object somewhat bigger than a planet (see <http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jul/29/astronomers-find-aurora-a-million-times-brighter-than-the-northern-lights>).

Alternatively, the radio emissions from high energy electrons trapped in planetary radiation belts might be detectable - this was how Jupiter's radiation belt was discovered around 60 years ago. Work seems to be underway to detect such radiation: <https://skaoffice.atlassian.net/wiki/download/attachments/22183971/PoS-exopla-AASKA14.pdf?version=1&modificationDate=1403003959989&api=v2>

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: The question was clearly about "distant planets in other solar systems"  
> **username_2**: OK, I see. I misread the OP. The aurora you refer to was found on a brown dwarf, not a star (or a planet). But there is every reason to expect gas giant planets to have magnetospheres.  
> **username_1**: Auroras have been detected on Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus (big, pretty ones), and according to the article, even a small one on mars.   Source:  http://www.messagetoeagle.com/auroraalienworlds.php  
> **username_4**: The question - and thus my answer - is about planets in other solar systems! How many times do I have to say this :)  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2015-08-11. Score: 1

Yes, according to this [recent news](http://news.discovery.com/space/alien-life-exoplanets/monstrous-aurora-detected-beyond-our-solar-system-150729.htm) an aurora has been found on the [brown dwarf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LSR_J1835%2B3259) LSR J1835+3259 which is 18½ light years from here. I suppose that an aurora which is a million times more powerful than those on Earth comes together with some kind of van Allen Belts, but real astronomers maybe have more imagination. An M class brown dwarf is maybe not the typical "planet", but it's more like Jupiter than the Sun. (All planets certainly don't have it, the headline is confusing).


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