Astronomers found Bernard star's planets after a 100-year hunt.

"For a century, astronomers have been studying Barnard’s Star in the hope of finding planets around it. First discovered by E. E. Barnard at Yerkes Observatory in 1916, it is the nearest single star system to Earth. Now, using in part the Gemini North telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, partly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab, astronomers have discovered four sub-Earth exoplanets orbiting the star. " (ScitechDaily, After 100 Years of Searching, Astronomers Confirm Four Planets at Barnard’s Star)

"One of the planets is the least massive exoplanet ever discovered using the radial velocity technique, indicating a new benchmark for discovering smaller planets around nearby stars. Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Marenfeld" (ScitechDaily, After 100 Years of Searching, Astronomers Confirm Four Planets at Barnard’s Star)

"This illustration shows Barnard's star, with the correct size and temperature/color, as orbited by the four recently confirmed exoplanets around it. All four exoplanets are close in, with orbits ranging from 2.3 to 6.7 days, and small in mass: between 0.17 and 0.34 Earth masses." (BigThink, Confirmed at last: exoplanets found around nearest single star) (Zoom image)

"Throughout most of the history of astronomy, we knew only of the planets in our own Solar System; the presence or absence of planets around other stars could not be determined. Although the first planets beyond our Solar System, exoplanets, were discovered in 1992, several “false detections,” including around the nearest singlet star to our own, Barnard’s star, came earlier. In 2018, another “false” exoplanet around Barnard’s star was announced, and then refuted in 2021. But now, at last, we’ve found Barnard star’s elusive exoplanets, and they have so much to teach us." BigThink, Confirmed at last: exoplanets found around nearest single star)

Bernard's star has four planets. All of them are sub-earth planets, smaller than Earth. Bernard's star is a very small red dwarf. It's the closest single star to the Sun. 

Slightly larger than Jupiter. And that means the small planets can be seen against that planet. The red dwarf is very close to Earth. The distance between the Sun and Bernard's star is 5.9629 light years. 

Bernard's star is the fourth known individual star. Three components of Alpha Centauri are closer to it. Close distance and dim light make it possible to see those planets when they travel over the star.  And that helps to find those four planets. 

"This artist’s impression shows Barnard b, a sub-Earth-mass planet that was discovered orbiting Barnard’s star. Its signal was detected with the ESPRESSO instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), and astronomers were able to confirm it with data from other instruments. An earlier promising detection in 2018 around the same star could not be confirmed by these data. On this newly discovered exoplanet, which has at least half the mass of Venus but is too hot to support liquid water, a year lasts just over three Earth days." (Wikipedia, Barnard's Star b)

About 100 years astronomers knew that Bernard's star proprietary movement was wobbling. And that gave the possibility that there are planets around that star. And now astronomers confirmed those planet's existence. Those four planets are revolutionary because they have been hunted for so long. They are also smaller than Earth. 

And now we know the solar system. That has four smaller planets than Earth. All of those planets are very small. And that makes them interesting. The sub-earth existence around that star means that there can be more surprises around red dwarfs. That means there can also be sub-earths in well-known exoplanet systems. 

When we think about Earth and our own solar system we always forget that the Earth is the largest of rocky planets. Only gas giants are larger than Earth. And all other rocky planets are smaller than Earth. This is one way. We can see things when we think about exoplanets. 

https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/confirmed-exoplanets-nearest-single-star/

https://scitechdaily.com/after-100-years-of-searching-astronomers-confirm-four-planets-at-barnards-star/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnard%27s_Star

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnard%27s_Star_b

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nearest_stars

Are we on the brink of finding extraterrestrial lifeforms as the Swiss government's scientists say?

The image above this text portrays an artist's imagination of an alien world with icy geysers. That world could be like the Triton moon of Neptune. And there is the strange planet in the sky of this world that can be somewhere. 

In this text, the focus is on the search for non-intelligent alien species. Those species can be like mushrooms or bacteria. And maybe those lifeforms are opening the window to the question of what kind of planet can host intelligent lifeforms. If some old planets are hosting only primitive organisms, maybe those planets can tell why nature started to favor intelligence in the case of our species. Why there is no other intelligent species than humans on Earth? 

Gliese 436 b is the planet covered by burning ice. The surface temperature of that planet is 431 Celsius. But strong gravitation denies the ice melting. That thing causes re-estimation for the term habitable zone. 

There must be liquid water on the planet. Well, liquid water is important for life forms. Put planet name Gliese 436 b brings new focus to that problem. The heavy gravitation pulls water to ice on this burning hot planet. And the same way there could be water worlds where the gravitation or air pressure denies water from boiling. 

So if we are thinking about the conditions of the forming lifeforms we should rather thinking the temperature on that planet than liquid water. The temperature on the planet can be so high. That amino acids cannot form. And if gravitation or pressure is high enough. That thing means that the planet can be burning inferno. But there is still liquid water. 

The extraterrestrial lifeforms are hiding. We know that they should exist. But the question is where those lifeforms are hiding because we cannot see them. The JWST telescope offers a new possibility to observe exoplanets. That telescope sees many things. 

But the extraterrestrial lifeforms are hard to detect. And the reason for that is we don't know what kind of lifeforms we should look for. If those exoplanets are far away. And even if some of those distant planets are covered by a dark forest. That will not mean that we could see that lifeform. Those lifeforms may look like our trees, but they will not release oxygen into the atmosphere. So in that case there would not be free oxygen in that planet's atmosphere. 

Things like water worlds are not more promising. There is a possibility that the temperature on those planets is extremely high. And if the gas pressure is very high. That means the ocean cannot boil even if the temperature on those planets is very high. 

In the atmosphere of one exoplanet is seen carbon monoxide. But that exoplanet is too hot to maintain lifeforms. If we are looking at the non-intelligent alien lifeforms we face one thing. The method that is used is to search for metabolites. But things like carbon monoxide can form otherwise than from burning forests. 

That gas can form when the carbon impacts free oxygen in the planet's atmosphere. That oxygen can come from the molecular nebula. And when that oxygen impacts an atmosphere where are lots of carbon. That can cause the formation of carbon monoxide. 

But at each time. When astronomers get new instruments they are closer to finding alien lifeforms. The problematic thing is that the non-intelligent alien lifeforms are hard to detect. 

https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/search-for-life/habitable-zone/

https://futurism.com/the-strangest-exoplanet-ever

https://futurism.com/scientist-brink-alien-life

https://www.wonderslist.com/10-strange-and-mysterious-planets/

Image: https://futurism.com/scientist-brink-alien-life

What kind of exoplanets do intelligent life forms need?

The artist's vision of the exoplanet "Proxima B". The surface of the closest known exoplanet, "Proxima B" or "Proxima Centauri B", could look like this artist's vision. 

If the planet's surface is too hostile there will not form lifeforms. Life as we know it requires liquid water. And of course, life needs the right environment for advancement. But when we are trying to think about what is the right environment for creating advanced civilizations we must realize one thing. 

There must be some reason for intelligence. The species must get some benefit from intelligence. And that means that if the conditions on the planet are too stable there is no need for intelligence. 

The planet that is favorable for the development of life is not necessarily favorable for the development of intelligence. There must happen something that makes evolution benefit intelligent lifeforms. 

Species like humans use intelligence to adapt the environmental changes. Intelligence makes humans more flexible than other species. We can make houses and clothes to protect us against the weather. 

The water layer on the planet itself cannot guarantee that life is possible on those planets. 

We can also move to places where no other species can live.  But the fact is that we must have the motivation to make that thing. 

But if the pressure on that planet is too high, the water can boil. Also, a strong gravitational field can cause the water cannot to vaporize. There are planets where massive gravitation pulls water to hot ice. 

The temperature of that ice can be extremely hot. But gravitation denies it's boiling. So water layer itself doesn't guarantee that life is possible on those planets. 

If we think of things like water worlds or planets that are covered by a water layer those planets can offer the perfect place for underwater species. The water gives good protection against cosmic radiation. 

But could those species turn intelligent and fly to space? The thing is that if those underwater creatures use volcanic temperature. They can create metallurgy.

And they can use the "space suits" filled with water. That allows them to breathe on the gills at drylands.  

In too favorable conditions a large number of descendants is enough. There must happen something. That makes species turn to favor the high-quality descendants. 

Species requires intelligence to find nutrient. And maybe the ice ages are the reason why humans are so intelligent. In those conditions, the ability to solve problems. And making new inventions was important for survivability. 

Intelligence is the key element of advanced technology. And advanced technology requires places where individuals can develop it. The key role in that process is the need for those inventions. 

Image: Pinterest

Astronomers found that exoplanet TOI-1452 b could be a so-called water world.

Artist's impression of exoplanet TOI-1452 b

The anatomy of water worlds. 

Exoplanet TOI-1452 b is orbiting red dwarf TOI-1452 for 11 days. There is a possibility, that a thick water layer covers the entire exoplanet TOI-1452 b. That thing makes that exoplanet very interesting. TOI-1452 b is 70 times larger than Earth and five times more massive than our planet. TOI-1452 b is possible a locked planet where powerful winds are blowing because the difference in temperature between day and night sides is very big. So what kind of world the water world can be? 

That temperature difference causes extremely strong winds. The windspeed in those jet streams can rise over Mach 1. The difference in the wind speed in latitudes causes the stripes in the water world's atmosphere and the friction between those stripes will heat the atmosphere of the water world. 

And if there forms some kind of hurricanes in the atmosphere of water worlds those hurricanes can stay years. The water worlds have stripes because there is nothing that can disturb the atmosphere. Forming clouds requires islands or dry areas. Ans waves require that there is some kind of shoals. 

If there are no shoals or landmass the oceans can be very slight, because nothing will cause the waves. There are possible massive vertical flows that are chancing water at the surface. But those flows require that there is some kind of volcanic activity below the ocean. There is the possibility that water layers over the water world exoplanets are even thousands of kilometers deep. 

The massive gravitation can pull water even to ice. The exoplanet Gliese 461 b has a surface covered by ice even if the temperature on that planet is 436 degrees Celsius, but the extreme gravitation pulls water to ice on that planet. 

There is also the possibility that a thick water layer presses the bottom of the ocean to ice. The reason for that is the extremely high pressure will deny the oscillation of water molecules. 

But if the gravitation on the surface of the water world is stronger on Earth but lower than forming of hot ice requires. That means the water will not boil at 100 degrees Celsius. So the oceans of the water worlds can be extremely hot, and they will not boil. Because of massive gravitation. 

There is possible that that planet's ocean swims some kind of lifeforms that are similar to that swam in Earth's oceans before the oxygen is released into the Atmosphere. The water worlds are exoplanets that can support quite similar lifeforms like fishes or sea insects even if that planet is in a powerful radiation zone. The water layer protects animals that are living in that ocean. 

Can there be intelligent lifeforms on water worlds? 

The ocean worlds are very interesting in the point of search for intelligent lifeforms. The intelligent lifeforms can make undersea structures and underwater stations for protecting themselves against the powerful radiation of the central star of some water world. But in most of those models, the intelligent civilization must form on other planets. 

On the water worlds themselves, the endemic species cannot reach the level of the technically advanced civilization, because they cannot make fire or melt metals, which is the key element for technical inventions. But there is always the possibility that the endemic species can use volcanic temperature for melting metals, that was the first step for humans on that route to technically advanced species. 

https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/news/1710/discovery-alert-intriguing-new-super-earth-could-get-a-closer-look/

https://futurism.com/the-strangest-exoplanet-ever

https://www.newsweek.com/exoplanet-alien-life-toi-1452-b-astronomy-james-webb-1736578

https://scitechdaily.com/water-world-astronomers-discover-an-extrasolar-world-that-may-be-entirely-covered-in-a-deep-ocean/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOI-1452_b

Image: https://scitechdaily.com/water-world-astronomers-discover-an-extrasolar-world-that-may-be-entirely-covered-in-a-deep-ocean/

There is a possibility. That astronomer found the first planet that orbits 3 stars.

Image: I: The anomaly in dust disk around GW Orionis

The star is GW Orionis. Distance to that star is 1300 light-years. The planet itself is not visible. The system that has made that detection is ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array). And the researchers worked for Nevada State University. The following months will confirm or not confirm that observation. 

The planet itself is not visible. But that object causes an anomaly in the dust that orbits the central stars. And the planet can be seen because of that anomaly. The straight observations of exoplanets are hard to get. 

But non-straight observations like changes in the brightness of the stars or the gravitational interaction between planet and dust are also visible. The gravitational interaction between the planet and the dust requires that the dust disk is visible.  

The change of the brightness of the stars is a good method to track the exoplanets. But that requires that the planet travels between Earth and that star. The last method can use also with distant objects. 

Image II 

And that is the thing that might confirm the scenario that the planetary systems are more common than astronomers expect. In the universe are confirmed exoplanets that are orbiting multi-stellar systems. The most well-known of those planets is Proxima Centauri B. That planet orbits the red dwarf at the closest stellar system Alpha Centauri. In those cases, the exoplanet is orbiting the distant member of the multi-stellar entirety. 

Those distant members of the triple- or multi-stellar systems are offering the possibility for their solar system. In those cases, the multi-stellar system is "open". The distant member of the entirety has its planetary system as Proxima Centauri has. But in another case, there is the possibility that the triple-star system is "closed". In that case those central stars are are very close to each other. And the planets can orbit them as the entirety. 

When we are thinking about the possibility that planets are forming around the triple-star system there is lots of dust and other particles around those stars. That means that there could be forming planets around them. But the other version of the form of the planetary system is that the stars or multi-stars are capturing the rogue planets. 

The common gravitational effect of the multi-stellar systems is huge. And that means that kind of solar system can pull objects from great distances. The thing is that this finding was a great step for science. Stars are bright things. They are covering planets in their shine. The thing is that the existence of planets doesn't mean that there are lifeforms in the solar system. 

()https://phys.org/news/2021-10-astronomers-planet-orbit-stars.html

()https://scitechdaily.com/astronomers-may-have-discovered-the-first-known-planet-to-orbit-3-stars/amp/

Image I:()https://phys.org/news/2021-10-astronomers-planet-orbit-stars.html

Image II:()https://scitechdaily.com/astronomers-may-have-discovered-the-first-known-planet-to-orbit-3-stars/amp/

()https://kimmoswritings.blogspot.com/