Four planets discovered in Earth's neighboring star system

With the help of some of today's most powerful observatories, astronomers have confirmed the existence of four planets orbiting a star less than six light years from Earth.

Simulation image of Barnard's star and its planets

Photo: Gemini International Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Marenfeld

A report published in April 2024 mentioned a planet orbiting Barnard’s Star, the second-closest single-star system to Earth. However, subsequent coordination by a series of observatories around the world has confirmed the existence of not one but four small planets, according to the report published in the March issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters .

Astronomers said they used the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii and the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile to discover the new planets.

"The discovery reflects a breakthrough in the precise use of these tools compared to previous generations of researchers," ABC News today, March 19, quoted the report's author, graduate student Ritvik Basant of the University of Chicago (USA).

Barnard's Star is a red giant discovered in 1916. Since then, astronomers have estimated that at least 70% of the Milky Way's stars are of this type. That's why researchers want to know more about the planets that orbit them, according to the University of Chicago.

"It's an incredibly exciting discovery, Barnard's star is our neighbor, but we know so little about it," said report author Basant.

Barnard's planets range in mass from 20% to 30% that of Earth, and their surface temperatures are too hot to support life. They are likely to be rocky rather than gaseous.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phat-hien-4-hanh-tinh-trong-he-sao-lang-gieng-cua-trai-dat-185250319101610015.htm