The exoplanet’s surface is about 257° Fahrenheit and a full year lasts just over three Earth days.

Astronomers have discovered a small exoplanet orbiting Barnard’s star, the closest single star to our sun. This newly discovered exoplanet designated as Barnard b [2] has at least half the mass of Venus and it takes just over three Earth days for it to orbit the sun. Its very existence hints at three more exoplanet candidates in various orbits around Barnard’s star. The findings are detailed in a study published October 1 in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.

What is Barnard’s star?

Barnard’s star is a red dwarf about six light-years away from our sun and six light-years away from Earth. It is considered the closest single star and second closest stellar system to us, following Alpha Centauri’s three-star group. It is too dim to be seen with the naked eye despite being so close to us, but can be observed with telescopes.

Red dwarf stars like these are also prime candidates in the search for potentially Earth-like exoplanets. Low-mass rocky planets are easier to detect near red dwarfs than around larger stars like our sun, as these stars have cooler temperatures and a temperate zone that is much closer to the star’s surface than hotter stars like the sun. This means that any planet orbiting the star within their temperate zone orbits it in a shorter period of time. Astronomers can then monitor them over days or weeks, instead of years.