New Planet Discovered Orbiting Barnard’s Star Just 6 Light Years Away
7th Oct 2024Astronomers have detected a new exoplanet orbiting Barnard’s star, one of the sun’s closest neighboring stars. This latest discovery adds to the ongoing exploration of planets beyond our solar system, but the planet’s extreme temperatures make it unsuitable for life.
Discovering Barnard’s Star Planet
Located just 5.96 light years from Earth, Barnard’s star has been a focus of astronomers for decades due to its proximity. It ranks as the second-closest star system to our own after Alpha Centauri. Researchers have long been searching for signs of planets orbiting this star, which is relatively dim compared to our sun.
In 2018, astronomers believed they had detected an exoplanet orbiting Barnard’s star, named Barnard’s star b. However, further analysis showed that the observed signals were actually caused by unexpectedly high stellar activity, not a planet. Despite this setback, researchers have pressed on and have now made a new breakthrough.
A research team led by Jonay González Hernández from the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics recently discovered a planet with about 40% of Earth’s mass that orbits very close to Barnard’s star. This newly found planet completes its orbit in just over three Earth days. Due to its close proximity to the star, its surface reaches blistering temperatures of around 125°C (257°F), making it inhospitable for liquid water or any form of life as we know it.
How the Planet Was Detected
The discovery was made using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile, specifically its ESPRESSO instrument. This instrument measures the tiny wobbles in the position of Barnard’s star. These wobbles are caused by the orbiting planet’s gravitational pull, revealing its presence despite the distance.
Interestingly, González Hernández and his colleagues also identified potential signals indicating the presence of three more planets around Barnard’s star. However, these signals weren’t strong enough to confirm with certainty, and further observations will be needed.
Future Observations Needed for Confirmation
Detecting planets around Barnard’s star is always challenging and complicated by the star’s activity and magnetic fields. While the new planet appears to be a valid discovery, scientists like Rodrigo Fernando Díaz from the National University of San Martín in Argentina caution that more data from other telescopes will be necessary to confirm the existence of additional planets truly. These future observations could take years to gather.
In the meantime, the confirmed planet orbiting Barnard’s star adds another intriguing piece to the puzzle of exoplanet exploration, but it is clear that much more work lies ahead to understand its full planetary system.
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