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posted by Fnord666 on Monday January 14 2019, @08:27AM   Printer-friendly
from the barnyard-star dept.

Primitive life at Barnard's Star?

Here's more exciting work regarding the newly discovered super-Earth exoplanet orbiting the legendary Barnard's Star. This star is the closest single star (and now the second-closest star system) to our own sun at only six light-years away. Astronomers announced its new-found planet – labeled Barnard b (or GJ 699 b) – as recently as November 2018. Last week (January 10, 2019) – at the 233rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in Seattle, Washington – astronomers from Villanova University explained their new work showing that – although this world is likely cold (-170 degrees Celsius or -254 Fahrenheit) – it could still have the potential to harbor primitive life.

Here's the thing about Barnard's Star b, whose mass is just over three times that of Earth. It orbits Barnard's Star – a dim red dwarf – every 233 days, at roughly the same distance that Mercury orbits our sun. In the Barnard's Star system, though, this distance is near the star's snow line, that is, the point where heat from Barnard's star needed to keep water molecules as vapor ends. Past the snow line, water can become ice.

In order for Barnard b to have some form of life, these astronomers said, the planet needs another heat source. They suggested a large, hot iron/nickel core – much as Earth has – and enhanced geothermal activity. Edward Guinan and Scott Engle of Villanova made the announcement; you can see their paper as a poster from the AAS meeting. Guinan said:

Geothermal heating could support 'life zones' under its surface, akin to subsurface lakes found in Antarctica. We note that the surface temperature on Jupiter's icy moon Europa is similar to Barnard b but, because of tidal heating, Europa probably has liquid oceans under its icy surface.

Barnard's Star b.

Previously: Exoplanet Detected Around Barnard's Star, 6 Light Years Away


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  • (Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Monday January 14 2019, @09:45AM

    by PiMuNu (3823) on Monday January 14 2019, @09:45AM (#786388)

    ... but probably doesnt

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