Astronomers have confirmed the presence of four planets orbiting Barnard’s Star, one of Earth’s nearest neighbours at just under 6 light-years away. This discovery, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, was made with the aid of some of the most powerful telescopes on Earth, including the Gemini Telescope in Hawaii and the Very Large Telescope in Chile.
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The research, led by Ritvik Basant, a PhD student from the University of Chicago, marks a significant breakthrough in planetary detection. Initial evidence of a single planet orbiting Barnard’s Star was first published in 2024, but further observations revealed three additional planets. These small, rocky exoplanets, which are between 20% and 30% of Earth’s mass, orbit the star in just a few days, making them unlikely candidates for supporting life due to their proximity to the star.
Barnard’s Star, a low-mass red dwarf discovered in 1916, is part of a class of stars that comprise about 70% of the Milky Way’s stellar population. Despite its proximity, much remains unknown about this star system, prompting scientists to focus their research efforts on understanding the planets that orbit red dwarfs. Basant expressed excitement about the discovery, emphasising that these findings open new avenues for studying such stars and their planets.
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The discovery was made possible through observations spanning three years, involving international collaboration across different observatories. Researchers analysed data from 112 nights, confirming the existence of the planets with “solid evidence”. Despite the challenges posed by the brightness of Barnard’s Star, the teams are confident in the accuracy of their findings, ruling out the possibility of data anomalies.
