Scientists have discovered an exoplanet orbiting the closest star to our sun

A team of astronomers has discovered an exoplanet orbiting Barnard's star, the closest single star to the Sun. The study, published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, is based on five years of observations with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile.

Here's What We Know

Barnard's star, a red dwarf, is about 6 light-years away from Earth and has a mass that is 1/7th that of the Sun. The exoplanet, named Barnard b, is 20 times closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun and completes a full revolution in just over three Earth days. The temperature on the planet's surface reaches 125 degrees Celsius.

Barnard b is one of the lowest-mass exoplanets known, with a mass smaller than Earth's. It has previously been speculated that Barnard's star may have exoplanets, but confirmation has only now been received. Researchers have also found indications of three other exoplanet candidates around this star, but more observations will be needed to confirm them.

Source: Astronomy & Astrophysics