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The planet is 3.2 times larger than Earth and revolves around Barnard's star.
Astronomers have found evidence of a "super-terrestrial" planet orbiting our solar system. The exoplanet is 3.2 times larger than Earth and surrounds Barnard's star. It's also only 6 light-years away, making it one of the closest stars to the sun. Other stars include the Alpha Centauri system, located just 4.3 light-years away from the Earth's sun. Scientists call the newly detected planet Barnard's star b. We do not know yet if it's a planet, but the scientists involved are firmly convinced that it has the characteristics of a planet.
Expressing in front of an online media outlet, one of the scientists, who participated in the discovery, said that according to his analysis, he is 99% sure that Barnard's star will be confirmed as a planet. If confirmed, it will be the planet's closest exoplanet. For the moment, this title is held by Proxima b, which revolves around the Proxima Centauri. Studies by NASA's Kepler Space Telescope have shown that the small planets of the Earth's Milky Way are very common. The discovery of Proxima B and now Barnard B is clear proof that other exoplanets could be even closer to the planet Earth than we think.
Barnard's star was named in honor of E. E. Barnard, an American astronomer who is credited with a number of essential contributions to the understanding of the Milky Way and the galaxy in general. Astronomers have noticed that Barnard's star is getting closer to Earth day by day. Scientists believe that in 10,000 years, the Barnard star will be no more than 3.8 light years away. The star is also about twice as old as the Earth's sun, even bigger and brighter.
Barnard's Star is a target for scientists looking for exoplanets for several years now. However, during this period, there has not been much success so far. In addition, the new detection has not been so simple. The team of scientists involved in the discovery had to analyze huge amounts of data, both newly collected and archived. Many equipment and technologies have also been used for this purpose.
One of the main features of Barnard's Star B is its huge size. In fact, we are now talking about star as a "super-Earth". It is essentially classes of planets larger than the Earth but generally smaller than the "ice giants" such as Uranus and Neptune. Scientists have also noted that the planet takes about 233 days on Earth to revolve around its star.
Additional measurements and data will probably be needed to confirm the global status of the new exoplanet. Important attributes of the planet's atmosphere, including wind, will also be assessed during this process. The search for extra-terrestrial life has been going on for years. Scientists and space agencies have developed a more efficient and accurate technology to facilitate research. To date, a number of notable discoveries have already been made, including this one.
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