Washington D.C., [USA], March 12 (ANI): Astronomers have uncovered fresh evidence indicating the presence of not one but four small planets orbiting Barnard’s Star.
Star
the star system second closest to Earth.
The four planets, each roughly 20 to 30 percent the mass of Earth, orbit very closely to their parent star, completing a full revolution in just days. This proximity likely makes them too warm to support life; however, this discovery sets a significant milestone for identifying smaller worlds around neighboring stars.
It’s truly an exhilarating discovery — Barnard’s
Star
Even though it’s our cosmic neighbor, we still have much to learn about it,” stated Ritvik Basant, a Ph.D student at the University of Chicago and lead author of the study. “These advanced tools represent a significant leap forward compared to those from earlier times due to their enhanced accuracy.
This discovery lends credibility to a November study conducted by another group utilizing a separate telescope, where they discovered substantial proof of a single planet orbiting Barnard’s Star.
Star
and hints at others.
The latest research, involving experts from the Gemini Observatory/National Science Foundation NOIRLab, Heidelberg University, and the University of Amsterdam, will be released on March 11 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
For a hundred years, astronomers have been researching Barnard’s Star.
Star
In the hope of discovering planets orbiting it, this celestial body was first identified by E.E. Barnard at Yerkes Observatory back in 1916. It stands as our closest neighbor configured similarly to ours—specifically, featuring just a single star. (Notably, the star system nearest to Earth overall—the Proxima Centauri—is comprised of three stars engaged in mutual orbits, altering both planetary formation processes and orbital patterns.)
Barnard’s
Star
There exists a category known as an M dwarf star, which we have learned are incredibly abundant throughout the cosmos. Consequently, researchers aim to gain deeper insights into the types of planets these stars harbor.
The issue is that distant exoplanets are incredibly small compared to their dazzling stars, making them nearly impossible to observe using even our strongest telescopes. As a result, researchers have needed to adopt innovative methods to detect these elusive worlds.
An initiative of this kind was spearheaded by University of Chicago Professor Jacob Bean. His group developed and set up a device named MAROON-X, which is positioned on the Gemini telescope atop a mountain in Hawaii. This equipment is specially crafted to hunt for far-off exoplanets.
Since stars outshine their planets considerably, it becomes simpler to observe the impact that planets exert on their stars — akin to detecting wind by observing the movement of a flag.
MAROON-X searches for such an effect; the gravitational pull from each planet nudges the star’s location, causing it to oscillate back and forth. By measuring the starlight with exceptional accuracy, MAROON-X can detect these subtle movements and determine not only how many planets are orbiting the star but also their respective masses. (ANI)
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