Barnard’s Star Just 6 Light-Years Away Discovered To Have Four Rocky Planets Smaller Than Earth

Did you know that Barnard’s Star, located just 6 light-years away from us, is the closest single star to the Sun and the fourth closest star overall? This star, which is an old M dwarf star, is much smaller and cooler than our Sun. Recently, scientists discovered not just one, but four tiny planets orbiting around Barnard’s Star. These planets are so close to the star that they are too hot to be in the habitable zone.

The smallest of these planets orbits the star in just 2.3 days, while the farthest takes 6.7 days. Even though these planets have masses between 20% and 34% of Earth’s mass, making them two to three times the mass of Mars, they are not within the habitable zone. In fact, the chances of finding a habitable environment on these planets are pretty low.

Lead author Ritvik Basant, a graduate researcher at the University of Chicago, expressed excitement about this discovery, stating that Barnard’s Star is our cosmic neighbor, yet we know very little about it. The discovery of these planets was made possible by the precision of new instruments, such as the MAROON-X instrument on the Gemini North telescope and the ESPRESSO instrument at the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope.

Although we cannot directly see these planets crossing the star’s disk, we were able to detect their presence by observing the star’s wobble due to their gravitational pull. This method allowed scientists to confirm the existence of these tiny planets, with the most distant planet being the smallest ever found using this technique.

Over the last century, astronomers have speculated about the existence of planets around Barnard’s Star, and now, with advanced technology, we have finally been able to confirm their presence. The discovery of these planets was a collaborative effort between teams in Chile and Hawai‘i using different telescopes.

If you’re curious to learn more about these fascinating discoveries, a paper detailing the findings has been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. It’s truly amazing how much we can uncover about our universe with the help of advanced technology and dedicated researchers.