Spanish scientists discovered an important exoplanet

2024-10-01 14:55:37

An international team of scientists took from the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands has discovered a exoplanet smaller than Earth orbiting the second closest star system to ours that we have seen so far. The closest is formed by a single star.

The closest star system to Earth discovered to date is Alpha Centauri. However, this is three stars. The next closest is Barnardwhich has only one star, a red dwarf with the same name that gives rise to the star system. So far, only one exoplanet has been found around Barnard. However, scientists have continued to insist until they find another.

Attention is due to the fact that, when searching for exoplanets, it is better to focus on the ones that are close to us. This makes it easy to research them or even dominate them if the day comes in the distant future. Unfortunately, this exoplanet, Barnard b, is not included residential area of your system. But it has other qualities that make it very important.

An exoplanet just 6 light years away

Barnard’s star system is very close to our own. This exoplanet that orbits it is only 6 light years from us, very close to its star. In fact, it is 20 times closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. If Mercury is already very unstable, this planet is even worse. It is true that your star is cold, but, nevertheless, is calculated that its surface must be about 125ºC. For a planet to be habitable, it must be at a distance from its star that would allow water to exist in liquid form. With 125ºC it is not possible.

This new exoplanet is not habitable. So what makes it special? Above all draw attention to its places-. Not only is it very small, it is also very light. Its mass is about half that of Venus, making it lighter than Earth. Venus has never been heavier than our planet. This places it as one of the lightest exoplanets known and one of the very few that weigh less than Earth.

Star Barnard. Credit: Steve Quirk (Wikimedia Commons)

It will be difficult for the King to see him life rock so small orbits around the Sun however, around a red dwarf like Barnard it is a little easier.

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Many applications for a great search

Discovery of this exoplanet it is possible especially thanks to the tools ESPRESSOwhich is on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the European Southern Observatory, located in Chile.

This tool is specialized in the detection of exoplanets, since it analyzes the soft that these pull when they gravitationally drag their star. It is an almost imperceptible tremor, as it is caused by something much smaller than the star. However, when you see it, it is an indication that there is a high probability of an exoplanet nearby.

ESPRESSO has been the first tool to be discovered. THE

The ESPRESSO data is different from that of other instruments that specialize in the search for exoplanets. These are the ones HARPSalso from the European Southern Observatory, the HARPS-N of the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, in the Canary Islands, and CARMENES from Calar Alto Observatory, in Almería. They all agreed on the same thing.

In addition, thanks to these instruments, three other exoplanet candidates have been found. However, ESPRESSO still needs to confirm the data. Maybe soon we will have a plan 5 heavenly world acquaintance revolving around Barnard. Now, with certainty, we can point to only two.