New Planet Discovered Orbiting Closest Single Star to Our Sun | ESO

New Planet Discovered Orbiting Closest Single Star to Our Sun | ESO

Using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), astronomers have discovered a planet orbiting Barnard’s star, the closest single star to our Sun. The planet, at least half the mass of Venus, was found via the gravitational tug it induces on its host star. This video summarizes the discovery.

Barnard’s Star is a red dwarf star. It is about 10 billion years old, more than twice the current age of the Sun. Red dwarf stars are much cooler and less massive than the Sun, and are expected to live much longer lives because they do not burn through their fuel as fast. Barnard’s Star is one of the closest stars to Earth at a distance of only 6 light-years.

Recent observations have concluded that about 25% of the time, Barnard’s Star unleashes scorching flares. These may damage the atmospheres of planets closely orbiting it. This adds evidence that red dwarfs may present serious challenges for life on their planets.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Directed by: Angelos Tsaousis and Martin Wallner

Editing: Angelos Tsaousis

Written by: Hanna Huysegoms, Alejandro Izquierdo López

Footage and photos: ESO / Luis Calçada, Babak Tafreshi, Martin Kornmesser, Mahdi Zamani, Vladimir Romanyuk

Scientific Consultant: Mariya Lyubenova

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: Oct. 1, 2024

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