Buzz
Although UFO witnesses often offer conflicting accounts, we have not yet confirmed the existence of intelligent life outside of Earth. Nevertheless, astronomers remain optimistic. The latest theory comes from Barnard's Star, the second-closest star system to Earth, where a frozen super-Earth called Barnard's Star b orbits. Despite its surface temperature reaching a chilling -274°F, life might still be possible there.
As reported by CNET, Barnard's Star b, located 6 light years from Earth, could harbor life despite its frigid conditions. Researchers at Villanova University suggest that the planet might have a warm liquid-iron core generating geothermal heat, which could enable life beneath its icy surface. This concept mirrors the potential for life on Europa, a moon of Jupiter, where tidal heating could create subsurface oceans capable of sustaining life.
Barnard's Star b has a mass more than three times that of Earth. The potential for life on this exoplanet was suggested by researchers at Villanova, based on 15 years of photometry analysis of the star system [PDF].
Scott Engle, a Villanova astrophysicist, remarked in a statement, "The discovery of Barnard's Star b is crucial because it confirms that the two closest star systems to the Sun are both home to planets. This finding backs up earlier studies from the Kepler Mission data, suggesting that planets are widespread across the galaxy, possibly numbering in the tens of billions. Additionally, Barnard’s Star is roughly twice as old as the Sun—around 9 billion years old compared to the Sun’s 4.6 billion years. This shows that Earth-sized planets have been forming long before our Sun, or even Earth, came into existence."
Researchers are eager to uncover more about the possibility of life on Barnard's Star b as newer, more advanced telescopes become operational. NASA’s delayed James Webb Space Telescope could play a significant role. With a 21-foot mirror—three times the size of the Hubble—it is expected to launch in 2021, offering new insights.
