Barnard b may have an unassuming name, but the not-so-distant exoplanet is attracting excited attention from scientists. Newly discovered by astronomers publishing for the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, Barnard b orbits the closest solo star to our own solar system, known as Barnard's star. In the process, Barnard b raises hopes about the possibility of discovering life beyond Earth.
This is not to say that Barnard b itself is a candidate for extraterrestrial life. It is one of the lowest mass exoplanets ever discovered, roughly half the size of Venus, and therefore qualifies as a "sub-Earth." More damning from the perspective of hosting life, Barnard b has a surface temperature of roughly 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,800 degrees Celsius), meaning it is too hot to maintain liquid water.
