Astronomers have confirmed the discovery of an exoplanet named Barnard b, located just six light-years from Earth around Barnard's Star, the closest known star to our solar system after Alpha Centauri.

Barnard's Star, a red dwarf, is a prime target for the search for Earth-like exoplanets due to its proximity and habitable zone being closer than that of hotter stars.

The confirmation of Barnard b required five years of observational data, underscoring the challenges involved in detecting such distant planets.

The detection utilized the European Southern Observatory's ESPRESSO instrument, which measures the wobble of stars caused by the gravitational pull of orbiting planets.

Despite its discovery, Barnard b is too close to its star, resulting in a surface temperature of around 125 degrees Celsius, making it inhospitable for liquid water and life as we know it.

In addition to Barnard b, researchers have identified evidence of three other potential exoplanets around the same star, although further observations are needed for confirmation.

The search for planets around Barnard's Star has been ongoing since the 1960s, with previous claims of exoplanets often disputed due to stellar activity interference.

The discovery of Barnard b is significant as it represents progress in identifying small exoplanets, which are notoriously difficult to detect.

Barnard b is one of the least massive exoplanets known, with a mass between 0.17 and 0.32 times that of Earth, and it completes its orbit in just 3.15 Earth days.

The findings were published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, reflecting a growing interest in low-mass planets in our cosmic neighborhood.

The upcoming Extremely Large Telescope is expected to enhance exoplanet research, potentially allowing for the detection of more small, rocky planets in temperate zones around nearby stars.

Barnard b's orbital period is remarkably short, completing an orbit around its star every 3.15 days, which contributes to its extreme temperatures.