Recent advancements in astronomy have revealed that Barnard’s star, one of our sun’s closest neighbors located just 5.96 light-years away, is home to at least one confirmed planet, alongside three additional candidates that require further validation.
Since the 1960s, astronomers have been on the lookout for planets around Barnard’s star, which is the second-closest star system to Earth after Alpha Centauri. In a notable 2018 discovery, researchers identified a planet dubbed Barnard’s star b, estimated to be three times the size of Earth. However, subsequent analyses determined that the signals indicating the planet’s presence were likely due to an unexpected level of stellar activity.
Now, a team led by researchers from the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics has possibly identified a new version of Barnard’s star b, estimated to be around 40% the mass of Earth. Remarkably, this planet orbits its star in just over three Earth days, placing it considerably closer than any planet in our solar system, resulting in scorching surface temperatures of approximately 125°C (257°F), making liquid water and life as we know it impossible.
The team utilized observations from the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile, specifically the ESPRESSO instrument, to detect subtle wobbles in Barnard’s star’s position,indicative of the gravitational influence from its orbiting planet. Additionally, they discovered evidence suggesting three more planets may orbit the star; however, the current signals lack sufficient strength for definitive confirmation, necessitating further observation.
Rodrigo Fernando Díaz from the National University of San Martín highlights the challenges in detecting such celestial bodies, noting the complexities introduced by stellar activity and magnetic fields. While the researchers have conducted extensive checks to attribute their findings to a planetary presence, the possibility of unrecognized variables remains. Confirming these discoveries will likely demand years of monitoring data from additional telescopes.
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