6 light years away "super earth" or the quality of life is 3 times that of the earth

The researchers found that a giant "super-Earth" planet that is 6 light years away may have simple life. Barnard b (or GJ 699 b) is a recently discovered "super-Earth" planet that orbits the Barnard star, the second closest star to the Earth. Barnard b is considered extremely cold and has a temperature similar to that of Europa, which is about 150 degrees Celsius.

But the researchers say that its iron/nickel "nuclear" temperature is quite high and the geothermal activity is very intense.

University of Villanova's astrophysicist Edward Guinan said at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society that "geothermal can support the 'life belt' beneath the surface, just like the underground lake in Antarctica."

According to the paper, “We know that Europa’s surface temperature is similar to that of Barnard b. However, due to the presence of geothermal heat, Europa may have liquid water under the cold surface. If water is present, geothermal heat may cause liquid water to exist under the icy surface. 'Life Belt'. This situation is very similar to the cold Europa."

He said, "We have been paying attention to Barnard Star for a while. The most important significance of discovering the Barnard b planet is that there are planets in the two star systems closest to the Sun."

Paper co-author Scott Engle pointed out that "this supports previous research based on Kepler telescope data, that is, planets are ubiquitous in the Milky Way, even in tens of billions."

Barnard b is considered a rocky planet with more than three times the mass of the Earth.

Engel said, "Barnard star exists about twice as long as the sun, it already exists about 9 billion, and the sun existed 4.6 billion years ago. Some of the planets in the universe that are about the size of the earth exist for much longer than the earth, even the sun itself. ."

Barnard b is more than three times the mass of the Earth, and the orbital period around Barnard (red dwarf) is 233 days, and the orbital radius is roughly equal to that of Mercury.

He said that although the brightness is very low, it may be feasible to use the ultra-large-scale telescope to "photograph" Barnard b in the future. "This observation will reveal its atmosphere, the nature of the surface, and livability."

Although the surface temperature is about 150 degrees Celsius, scientists believe that there is liquid water under the ice that can support life.

Barnard b is considered a rocky planet, at least 3.2 times larger than Earth.

Barnard b host star Barnard star is 6 light years away from Earth - this is a short distance on the astronomical scale, with a brightness of only 0.0035 times the sun.

The only star system closer to Earth is the Alpha Centauri, which is about 4 light years away.