{"id":193738,"date":"2025-04-01T13:56:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T03:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/universe\/exoplanets\/discovery-alert-four-little-planets-one-big-step\/"},"modified":"2025-04-01T13:56:00","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T03:56:00","slug":"discovery-alert-four-little-planets-one-big-step","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=193738","title":{"rendered":"Discovery Alert: Four Little Planets, One Big Step"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\" hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-secondary-navigation\">\n<div class=\"hds-secondary-navigation-wrapper z-top width-100 padding-0\">\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-secondary-navigation width-full border-bottom-1px text-center hds-color-mode-dark hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-hdsnav\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"hds-secondary-nav-mobile-button display-flex tablet:display-flex desktop:display-none width-full flex-align-center bg-carbon-90 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class=\"usa-nav__submenu-item \"><a class=\"usa-nav__link\"  href=\"https:\/\/exoplanets.nasa.gov\/exep\/\" rel=\"noopener\">ExEP<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\">\n<div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\">\n<div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/astro\/exo-explore\/exoplanet-artists-concepts\/Artists_Concept_of_Exoplanets_Orbiting_Barnards_Star__noirlab2510a.tif?w=5760&#038;h=3600&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"5760\" height=\"3600\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/astro\/exo-explore\/exoplanet-artists-concepts\/Artists_Concept_of_Exoplanets_Orbiting_Barnards_Star__noirlab2510a.tif?w=5760&#038;h=3600&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"An artist\u2019s view from what appears to be just above the surface of a small Barnard\u2019s Star planet, covering the lower three-quarters of the image, the surface reddish brown, pocked with craters and a canyon-like trough stretching from the bottom center to the horizon. Above the curved horizon of the planet, at center, is the reddish Barnard\u2019s Star, the other three small planets visible in the otherwise black background of space on either side of it \u2013 to the left of the star, one planet, lit about half-phase on the planet\u2019s right side, and to the right of the star two planets, lit half-phase on their left sides.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/astro\/exo-explore\/exoplanet-artists-concepts\/Artists_Concept_of_Exoplanets_Orbiting_Barnards_Star__noirlab2510a.tif?w=5760&#038;h=3600&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 5760w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/astro\/exo-explore\/exoplanet-artists-concepts\/Artists_Concept_of_Exoplanets_Orbiting_Barnards_Star__noirlab2510a.tif?w=300&#038;h=188&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/astro\/exo-explore\/exoplanet-artists-concepts\/Artists_Concept_of_Exoplanets_Orbiting_Barnards_Star__noirlab2510a.tif?w=768&#038;h=480&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/astro\/exo-explore\/exoplanet-artists-concepts\/Artists_Concept_of_Exoplanets_Orbiting_Barnards_Star__noirlab2510a.tif?w=1024&#038;h=640&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/astro\/exo-explore\/exoplanet-artists-concepts\/Artists_Concept_of_Exoplanets_Orbiting_Barnards_Star__noirlab2510a.tif?w=1536&#038;h=960&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/astro\/exo-explore\/exoplanet-artists-concepts\/Artists_Concept_of_Exoplanets_Orbiting_Barnards_Star__noirlab2510a.tif?w=2048&#038;h=1280&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2048w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/astro\/exo-explore\/exoplanet-artists-concepts\/Artists_Concept_of_Exoplanets_Orbiting_Barnards_Star__noirlab2510a.tif?w=400&#038;h=250&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/astro\/exo-explore\/exoplanet-artists-concepts\/Artists_Concept_of_Exoplanets_Orbiting_Barnards_Star__noirlab2510a.tif?w=600&#038;h=375&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/astro\/exo-explore\/exoplanet-artists-concepts\/Artists_Concept_of_Exoplanets_Orbiting_Barnards_Star__noirlab2510a.tif?w=900&#038;h=563&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/astro\/exo-explore\/exoplanet-artists-concepts\/Artists_Concept_of_Exoplanets_Orbiting_Barnards_Star__noirlab2510a.tif?w=1200&#038;h=750&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/astro\/exo-explore\/exoplanet-artists-concepts\/Artists_Concept_of_Exoplanets_Orbiting_Barnards_Star__noirlab2510a.tif?w=2000&#038;h=1250&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5760px) 100vw, 5760px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">This artist\u2019s concept pictures the planets orbiting Barnard\u2019s Star, as seen from close to the surface of one of them. <\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-credits\">Image credit: International Gemini Observatory\/NOIRLab\/NSF\/AURA\/P. Marenfeld<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Discovery<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Four rocky planets much smaller than Earth orbit Barnard\u2019s Star, the next closest to ours after the three-star Alpha Centauri system. Barnard\u2019s is the nearest single star.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Facts<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Barnard\u2019s Star, six light-years away, is notorious among astronomers for a history of false planet detections. But with the help of high-precision technology, the latest discovery \u2014 a family of four \u2014\u00a0appears to be solidly confirmed. The tiny size of the planets is also remarkable: Capturing evidence of small worlds at great distance is a tall order, even using state-of-the-art instruments and observational techniques.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Details<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Watching for wobbles in the light from a star is one of the leading methods for detecting exoplanets \u2014 planets orbiting other stars. This \u201cradial velocity\u201d technique tracks subtle shifts in the spectrum of starlight caused by the gravity of a planet pulling its star back and forth as the planet orbits. But tiny planets pose a major challenge: the smaller the planet, the smaller the pull. These four are each between about a fifth and a third as massive as Earth. Stars also are known to jitter and quake, creating background \u201cnoise\u201d that potentially could swamp the comparatively quiet signals from smaller, orbiting worlds.<\/p>\n<p>Astronomers measure the back-and-forth shifting of starlight in meters per second; in this case the radial velocity signals from all four planets amount to faint whispers \u2014 from 0.2 to 0.5 meters per second (a person walks at about 1 meter per second). But the noise from stellar activity is nearly 10 times larger at roughly 2 meters per second.<\/p>\n<p>How to separate planet signals from stellar noise? The astronomers made detailed mathematical models of Barnard\u2019s Star\u2019s quakes and jitters, allowing them to recognize and remove those signals from the data collected from the star.<\/p>\n<p>The new paper confirming the four tiny worlds \u2014 labeled b, c, d, and e \u2014 relies on data from MAROON-X, an \u201cextreme precision\u201d radial velocity instrument attached to the Gemini Telescope on the Maunakea mountaintop in Hawaii. It confirms the detection of the \u201cb\u201d planet, made with previous data from ESPRESSO, a radial velocity instrument attached to the Very Large Telescope in Chile. And the new work reveals three new sibling planets in the same system.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fun Facts<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>These planets orbit their red-dwarf star much too closely to be habitable. The closest planet\u2019s \u201cyear\u201d lasts a little more than two days; for the farthest planet, it\u2019s is just shy of seven days. That likely makes them too hot to support life. Yet their detection bodes well in the search for life beyond Earth. Scientists say small, rocky planets like ours are probably the best places to look for evidence of life as we know it. But so far they\u2019ve been the most difficult to detect and characterize. High-precision radial velocity measurements, combined with more sharply focused techniques for extracting data, could open new windows into habitable, potentially life-bearing worlds.<\/p>\n<p>Barnard\u2019s star was discovered in 1916 by Edward Emerson Barnard, a pioneering astrophotographer.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Discoverers<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>An international team of scientists led by Ritvik Basant of the University of Chicago published their paper on the discovery, <a href=\"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.3847\/2041-8213\/adb8d5\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cFour Sub-Earth Planets Orbiting Barnard\u2019s Star from MAROON-X and ESPRESSO,\u201d<\/a> in the science journal, \u201cThe Astrophysical Journal Letters,\u201d in March 2025. The planets were entered into the <a href=\"https:\/\/exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu\/\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NASA Exoplanet Archive<\/a> on March 13, 2025.<\/p>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 article_a hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-credits-and-details\">\n<section class=\"padding-x-0 padding-top-5 padding-bottom-2 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-2 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Share<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"padding-bottom-2\">\n<ul class=\"social-icons social-icons-round\">\n<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-x\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a 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2.5s-2.48-1.119-2.48-2.5c0-1.38 1.11-2.5 2.48-2.5s2.48 1.12 2.48 2.5zm.02 4.5h-5v16h5v-16zm7.982 0h-4.968v16h4.969v-8.399c0-4.67 6.029-5.052 6.029 0v8.399h4.988v-10.131c0-7.88-8.922-7.593-11.018-3.714v-2.155z\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-rss\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/feed\/\" aria-label=\"Subscribe to RSS feed.\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 800 800\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M493 652H392c0-134-111-244-244-244V307c189 0 345 156 345 345zm71 0c0-228-188-416-416-416V132c285 0 520 235 520 520z\"\/><circle cx=\"219\" cy=\"581\" r=\"71\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Details<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row margin-bottom-3\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-4\">\n<div class=\"subheading\">Last Updated<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-8\">Apr 01, 2025<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black \">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Related Terms<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<ul class=\"article-tags\">\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/exoplanets\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Exoplanets<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/category\/universe\/exoplanets\/exoplanet-detection-methods\/radial-velocity\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Radial Velocity<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/category\/universe\/exoplanets\/terrestrial\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Terrestrial Exoplanets<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-topic-cards nasa-gb-align-full maxw-full width-full padding-y-6 padding-x-3 color-mode-dark hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-topic-cards\">\n<div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block-lg padding-x-0\">\n<div class=\"grid-row flex-align-center margin-bottom-3\">\n<div class=\"desktop:grid-col-8 margin-bottom-2 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"label color-carbon-60 margin-bottom-2\">Keep Exploring<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"heading-36 line-height-sm\">Discover More Topics From NASA<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row grid-gap-2 hds-topic-cards-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/universe\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Universe<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1514\" src=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?w=1536\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg 3941w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=300,296 300w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=768,757 768w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=1024,1009 1024w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=1536,1514 1536w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=2048,2019 2048w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=50,50 50w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=100,100 100w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=400,394 400w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=600,591 600w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=900,887 900w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=1200,1183 1200w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=2000,1972 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/exoplanets\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Exoplanets<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" src=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/lp79118d-beautyshot-jpg.webp?w=1536\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/lp79118d-beautyshot-jpg.webp 2048w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/lp79118d-beautyshot-jpg.webp?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/lp79118d-beautyshot-jpg.webp?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/lp79118d-beautyshot-jpg.webp?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/lp79118d-beautyshot-jpg.webp?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/lp79118d-beautyshot-jpg.webp?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/lp79118d-beautyshot-jpg.webp?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/lp79118d-beautyshot-jpg.webp?resize=900,506 900w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/lp79118d-beautyshot-jpg.webp?resize=1200,675 1200w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/lp79118d-beautyshot-jpg.webp?resize=2000,1125 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/universe\/search-for-life\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Search for Life<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"320\" height=\"365\" src=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/dusty-universe.png?w=320\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/dusty-universe.png 320w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/dusty-universe.png?resize=263,300 263w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/exoplanets\/exoplanet-catalog\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n<div>\n<h3 class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Exoplanet Catalog<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"margin-bottom-0 margin-top-2 color-carbon-20-important\">This exoplanet encyclopedia \u2014 continuously updated, with more than 5,600 entries \u2014 combines interactive 3D models and detailed data on\u2026<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/5k-640.jpg?w=640\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/5k-640.jpg 640w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/5k-640.jpg?resize=300,225 300w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/5k-640.jpg?resize=400,300 400w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/5k-640.jpg?resize=600,450 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Discovery Four rocky planets much smaller than Earth orbit Barnard\u2019s Star, the next closest to ours after the three-star Alpha Centauri system. Barnard\u2019s is the nearest single star. Key Facts Barnard\u2019s Star, six light-years away, is notorious among astronomers for a history of false planet detections. But with the help of high-precision technology, the [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":1,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15636,16171,16172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-193738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exoplanets","category-radial-velocity","category-terrestrial-exoplanets"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=193738"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193738\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":193992,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193738\/revisions\/193992"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=193738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=193738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=193738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}