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Small rocky planet detected in orbit about nearby Barnard’s star
While this planet, orbiting very close to Barnard’s star, has a surface temperature too high to be suitable for life, the researchers found what they called “strong hints” of three other planets around Barnard’s star that might be better candidates.
Barnard's star is a red dwarf, the smallest type of regular star and much smaller and less luminous than our sun. At about 6 light years away, it is the closest single star - one not orbiting with other stars - to our solar system. It is, in cosmic terms, in our neighborhood.
Because of this, scientists eager to study nearby potentially habitable worlds are excited by the discovery of the first confirmed planet orbiting Barnard's star, a rocky one with a mass about 40% that of Earth, Reuters reported.
While this planet, orbiting very close to Barnard's star, has a surface temperature too high to be suitable for life, the researchers found what they called "strong hints" of three other planets around Barnard's star that might be better candidates.
The confirmed planet, called Barnard b, has a predicted diameter about three-quarters that of Earth, so about 6,000 miles (9,700 km).
"It is one of the least massive planets ever found," beyond our solar system, said astronomer Jonay González Hernández of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias in Tenerife, Spain, lead author of the study published this week in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, opens new tab.
Among planets in our solar system, only Mars and Mercury are smaller.
Barnard b, with a surface temperature around 275 degrees Fahrenheit (125 degrees Celsius), orbits Barnard's star in just three Earth days at a distance 20 times closer than our solar system's innermost planet Mercury is to the sun.
Planets beyond the solar system are called exoplanets. Scientists searching for exoplanets that possibly could harbor life look at those residing in the "habitable zone" around a star, where it is not too hot and not too cold, and liquid water can exist on the planetary surface.
The researchers used an instrument called ESPRESSO on the European Southern Observatory's Chile-based Very Large Telescope to detect this planet. The three other potential planets orbiting Barnard's star all apparently are rocky and smaller than Earth, ranging from 20-30% of Earth's mass. The hope is that at least one of these may be in the vicinity of the habitable zone.
If confirmed, this would be the only known star with a multi-planet system entirely comprised of planets smaller than Earth.
Barnard's star, in the constellation Ophiuchus, has a mass about 16% of the sun's, a diameter 19% of it and is far less hot. It also is estimated to be more than twice as old as the sun.
"Being so cold and small, it is quite faint, making its habitable zone much closer to the star than in the case of the sun," said Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias astronomer and study co-author Alejandro Suárez Mascareño. "It also is a very quiet star. While some red dwarfs have been found to flare very frequently, Barnard's star doesn't do it."
The closer that exoplanets are to us, the easier they are to study. It is easier to detect low-mass rocky planets orbiting red dwarfs, the most common type of star in our Milky Way galaxy, than around larger stars.
Only the three stars in the Alpha Centauri system, about 4 light-years away, are closer to our solar system than Barnard's star. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km). Two exoplanets have been detected in the Alpha Centauri system, both orbiting the red dwarf Proxima Centauri. One has a mass about equal to Earth's. The other is about 25% Earth's mass.
In science fiction, light speed travel is commonplace. In reality, it is far beyond human capabilities, though research projects such as Breakthrough Starshot are exploring the feasibility of interstellar travel. Barnard's star and Alpha Centauri might be on wish lists of future destinations.
"While they are very close in astronomical terms, they are out of reach for any kind of human technology. However, if projects such as the Breakthrough Starshot are successful, it is likely that these will be some of the first targets," Mascareño said.
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Iran executes 13 Afghans in October, 49 in total since January
Last month, Iran carried out at least 166 executions in October alone bringing the total in the first 10 months of 2024 to at least 651
Iran Human Rights reported this weekend that in the first 10 months of 2024, Iran has executed 49 Afghan nationals, 13 of whom were executed in October alone.
According to IHR, the number of executions of Afghan nationals has increased in the past three years.
In 2022, 16 Afghan nationals, including a juvenile offender and a woman, were executed.
In 2023, this number increased to 25.
This year, the trend has accelerated further.
IHR warned that Iran may take advantage of the rising conflict between Iran and Israel to escalate the number of executions in the coming months.
Last month, Iran carried out at least 166 executions in October alone bringing the total in the first 10 months of 2024 to at least 651.
This marks the highest number of executions recorded in a single month since Iran Human Rights began documenting executions in 2007.
Among those executed were the 13 Afghan nationals, six women, and an Iranian-German citizen.
The organization has called on the international community, media, and civil society to closely monitor and respond to what they say is an “alarming rise in executions”.
IHR also stated that since the presidential election and the recent escalation in Iran-Israel tensions, the number of executions has surged, with at least 353 people having been executed between August and October - since President Massoud Pezeshkian took office.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has not yet commented on the number of Afghan nationals executed.
The Iranian government does not disclose the number of Afghans it executes or the reasons behind most cases.
However, it is widely believed that a significant portion of these executions are related to drug charges.
Human rights organizations have criticized the Iranian government for conducting such executions, arguing that these actions violate international laws and the right to life.
Amnesty International says that the death penalty, without exception, constitutes a violation of the right to life as articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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AWCC launches telecom and internet services in Manogai district of Kunar
Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC) has launched telecom and internet services in Manogai district of Kunar province.
AWCC officials said with the activation of the new site in Manogai, resident’s problems will be solved.
"The site now offers 2G and 3G services and hundreds of families who were deprived of internet services are now very happy," said Ataullah Sahil, head of AWCC for the eastern zone.
AWCC has also set up a new customer service center in the region to address people's problems.
"The services we have in Asadabad, the capital of Kunar province, have now been activated in Ninglam market," said Abrarullah Zuhair, head of sales at AWCC.
“People in Pech Dara, Chapa Dara and Want Waigal of Kunar can get SIM cards from this branch and visit here to solve other problems,” he added.
Meanwhile, officials of the provincial telecommunications and information technology department appreciated the services of AWCC, saying that many families will benefit from telecommunication and internet services with the activation of this site.
"About 15,000 families will be provided with 3G services," said Abdul Wali Marshal, Kunar’s director of telecommunications and information technology. “Voice call services are also available. There were a lot of problems in this area before.”
Residents of Manogai district are happy with the activation of the AWCC site in the district and want telecommunication services to be expanded in remote parts of the district.
“There were a lot of internet problems here,” said Abdul Shakoor, a resident of Kunar province. “There were also problems in Ninglam. We thank AWCC for setting up this tower.”
In the past three years, AWCC has launched telecommunication services in many areas of the eastern provinces.
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Kabul gas company fire claims two lives, injures over 100
Two people died and 107 were injured in a fire in a densely populated area of Kabul’s Paghman district on Saturday night, Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) confirmed Sunday.
ANDMA officials said of those injured, 81 sustained only minor injuries.
Officials said the blaze, which broke out in the Qala-e-Haidar Khan area, caused over $1.2 million in damages, impacting local businesses and traders.
The department noted that these figures are provisional and may change as an assessment is ongoing.
On Sunday, Mullah Noor Ud din Turabi, head of ANDMA, visited the area and extended his sympathies to those affected by the blaze.
He said investigation teams were on-site to determine the cause of the fire and to make necessary decisions.
The fire broke out at about 6pm at a gas company, resulting in massive explosions of tankers.
Firefighters were however quick to arrive at the scene.
Fragments from gas tankers that exploded were scattered up to two kilometers from the site.
ANDMA said it is taking proactive measures to address both the immediate needs of those affected and the longer-term impacts on the local community.
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