What's happened
Astronomers have confirmed the discovery of Barnard b, a new exoplanet orbiting Barnard's star, located six light-years from Earth. The planet, with half the mass of Venus, completes an orbit in just over three Earth days. Researchers also suggest the presence of three additional exoplanet candidates around the star.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to Andrew Griffin from The Independent, Barnard b is notable for being one of the lowest-mass exoplanets known, with a mass less than that of Earth. He emphasizes that despite its proximity, the planet's extreme heat prevents the possibility of liquid water. Metro echoes this sentiment, stating that Barnard b orbits its star much closer than Mercury does to the Sun, leading to its blistering surface temperature. Both sources highlight the excitement surrounding the discovery, as it opens up new avenues for research in the search for Earth-like exoplanets. Dr. Jonay González Hernández, the lead author, expressed confidence in finding something significant despite the challenges, a sentiment shared across the reporting.
How we got here
Barnard's star, a red dwarf and the closest individual star to Earth, has been a target for exoplanet searches due to its proximity. The discovery of Barnard b marks the first confirmed planet in this system, following five years of observations using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope.
More on these topics
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The Very Large Telescope is a telescope facility operated by the European Southern Observatory on Cerro Paranal in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.
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Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It occupies a long, narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
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Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty. As the second-brightest natural object in the night sky after the Moon, Venus can cast shadows and can be, on rare occasion, visible to the naked eye in broad