Astronomers Confirm 4 Rocky Exoplanets in Earth’s Backyard, Just 6 Light-Years Away

Astronomers have identified four exoplanets orbiting Barnard’s Star, a red dwarf star just 6 light-years away from Earth. No, really, this time it’s for real! We have to emphasize this because astronomers have been “discovering” exoplanets orbiting Barnard’s Star—and then discovering they were wrong—for a century. “Exoplanet” is the technical term for planet-like bodies beyond our solar system, but some scholars use “planet” for simplicity. Now, however, an international research team has confirmed the existence of Barnard b, a previously identified exoplanet orbiting Barnard’s Star. They also found evidence of three additional exoplanets, which had been tentatively identified in the same earlier study—enough to confirm one as a bona fide planet. As detailed in a study published Tuesday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the research sets a new record in humanity’s hunt for exoplanets. “It’s a really exciting find — Barnard’s Star is our cosmic neighbor, and yet we know so little ... Read full article.