Exoplanet discovered around neighbouring star

[Notebook]

Astronomers have discovered a planet around one of the closest stars to our Sun.
Nearby planets like this are likely to be prime targets in the search for signatures of life, using the next generation of telescopes.
The planet's mass is thought to be more than three times that of our own, placing it in a category of world know as "super-Earths".
It orbits Barnard's star, which sits "just" six light-years away.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46196279

 

[Marijn]

Interesting to read that Dutch astronomer Peter van de Kamp, who worked most of his life in the USA, predicted a planetary system around Barnard's Star way back in the sixties, based on the movements of the star.

If I am not mistaken, it was quite brave back then to suggest the existance of exoplanets. Not sure if that word even existed. However, it's thought nowadays that his conclusions were based on errors in measurement.

He passed away in 1995 aged 93, five months before the first exoplanet orbiting a star was confirmed. I think these planet(s) should be named after him or have his relatives a go on this.

Never knew the man and his story. Thanks for the read.

Even though the planet orbits at a Mercury distance, it's outside the habitable zone. I wonder if solar flares from a star only 3 percent the brightness of our sun would cause much harm.