Scientists discover four Earth-like planets orbiting Barnard's Star

 

Scientists discover four Earth-like planets orbiting Barnard's Star

In the first for the exoplanetary community, scientists have announced four new small Earth-like planets around Barnard's Star, just six light-years from our world. The four planets are all smaller than Earth but share one thing in common: all of them are rocky, similar to Earth.

The discovery of these four tiny, terrestrial planets surrounding Barnard's Star is a significant leap for exoplanetary science and the search for life beyond Earth in the universe. While these planets are not able to sustain life due to the adversarial conditions there, they are indicative of the types of planets that exist within our galactic community and what possibilities exist for life in the galaxy. With our technology and knowledge improving, finds like this bring us one step closer to solving the ancient enigma: Are we alone in the universe?

Four Earth-like planets discovered orbiting Barnard's star

Barnard's Star is a red dwarf and our closest single star to Earth, other than the stars of the Alpha Centauri system. Due to its proximity, it is a first option for study by astronomers since planets orbiting around it may hold the key to conditions in our universe.

The planets near Barnard's Star are interesting in the sense that they are quite similar to the Earth, especially in terms of their composition. This does make them very attractive to scientists even though they are small compared to the Earth.

Smallest exoplanets detected via radial velocity method

The planets, b, c, d, and e, are extremely small with a mass that is 20% to 30% as massive as that of the Earth. The planets are the smallest ones yet to be found by the radial velocity technique, which is to say that the astronomers take measurements of the "wobble" or the gravitational tug a planet exerts on a star. The method allows researchers to infer the presence of planets from observations of very slight movements of the star produced by gravitational pulls of the planets when moving in circles around the star.

Advanced technology enables detection of small exoplanets

Advanced astronomical equipment facilitated the discovery. Two basic technologies were crucial: the MAROON-X instrument on the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii and the ESPRESSO spectrograph on Chile's Very Large Telescope. These technologies enabled researchers to measure very small variations in the light being emitted by Barnard's Star. These result from the gravitational forces provided by the planets, although these signals are far too weak and easily drowned out with noise by their respective stars.

Rocky planets near Barnard's Star are too hot for life but vital for scientific study

The planets revolve around Barnard's Star in closely grouped radii. The inner planet takes more than two days to orbit, and the outer planet seven days to circulate around it. This would lead one to assume that the worlds are highly likely to be too hot to harbor life since they are much closer to their star compared to how close Earth is to the Sun.

This is not the sole reason, though. Their rocky composition (similar to that of the Earth) is a significant factor to consider. Rocky planets are also crucial in the quest for life beyond Earth in the universe since if circumstances are right, they will harbor life, if any.

Barnard’s star planets: Understanding habitability in other star systems

Though these planets are not expected to support life because of their closeness to Barnard's Star, they should be taken into account when searching for alien life. Low-mass rocky planets—those that fall within the "habitable zone" of their star (that distance range wherein liquid water could exist)—are good candidates for life. Even though these specific planets themselves do not fall under this categorization, the discovery of these planets contributes to the proof required in the future to be qualified for the pursuit of life elsewhere in the universe beyond our home planet Earth.

The research, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, was conducted by University of Chicago undergraduate Ritvik Basant and an international group of researchers. The discovery is one step toward understanding more about our cosmic neighborhood and hints at the possibility in the future to look for distant planets that may have Earth-like features, for example, having low mass and being rocky.

Yunus refers to India's northeast states in bid to lure China; sparks questions

 

Yunus refers to India's northeast states in bid to lure China; sparks questions

Muhammad Yunus, the head of Bangladesh's interim government, during his four-day China visit, made a pitch to Beijing that surprisingly included India's seven northeastern states. He said the seven states were landlocked, and China could use Bangladesh to make extensions.

Any growing influence of China in its immediate neighbourhood would be of concern to India. Bangladesh is of strategic importance to India, and several places in the country are close to the Siliguri Corridor, also referred to as the Chicken's Neck, a tiny strip of land that connects the northeast states to the rest of India.

While urging Beijing to establish an economic foothold in Bangladesh by leveraging its strategic position as the "only guardian of the ocean" in the region, Yunus said, "The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the Seven Sisters. They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean."

"So this opens up a huge possibility. This could be an extension of the Chinese economy," Yunus further said at a high-level roundtable discussion on 'sustainable infrastructure and energy' at Beijing's The Presidential hotel on Friday.

Not just the Indian northeastern states, Yunus also referred to Nepal and Bhutan, while he tried to lure China to make investments in Bangladesh.

"That's an opportunity we should seize and implement. Nepal and Bhutan have unlimited hydropower, which is a blessing. We can bring it to our purpose. From Bangladesh, you can go anywhere you want. The ocean is our backyard," Yunus said in Beijing.

"We are the only guardian of the ocean for all this region. So this opens up a huge possibility. This could be an extension of the Chinese economy. Build things, produce things, market things, bring things to China, bring it out to the rest of the world," Yunus added.

EXPERTS QUESTION YUNUS'S REFERENCE TO INDIAN STATES

Yunus' remarks on India's seven northeastern states came in as he was speaking to several Chinese business leaders in Beijing.

Yunus, during the China visit, also sought Beijing's expertise in river water management and proposed the need for a 50-year master plan.

His remarks drew attention from Indian economist Sanjeev Sanyal, who is also a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Economic Advisory Council.

"China is welcome to invest in Bangladesh, but what exactly is the significance of 7 Indian states being landlocked?" Sanyal asked on X.

"It is very disturbing and needs clarification. Is Yunus publicly calling for China to get involved in the Seven Sister states of India?" asked Chris Blackburn, a political and security analyst, on X.

An expansionist China has tried to get closer to India's northeast. It has built strategic infrastructure, dams and villages close to the border with Arunachal Pradesh, which it claims to be part of "South Tibet".

India, on its part, has tried to match up with border infrastructure, including the Arunachal Frontier Highway, officially National Highway 913 (NH-913). It isn't just another road but India's most ambitious attempt to fortify its borders with China while bringing development to one of the country's most remote and rugged regions.

YUNUS VISIT TO CHINA A MESSAGE TO INDIA?

On March 26, coinciding with Bangladesh's Independence Day, Muhammad Yunus boarded a special China Southern flight for a four-day official visit to China. During the trip Yunus, who also met Chinese premier Xi Jinping, inked several memoranda of understanding (MoUs).

The visit, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Bangladesh, marked a key moment in bilateral relations between both nations.

Yunus's visit to China on Independence Day, coinciding with Bangladesh's strained ties with India, was no coincidence. It was a message in itself.

"Muhammad Yunus has chosen China for his first state visit and with this Bangladesh is sending a message," Dhaka's top foreign ministry officer, Mohammad Jashim Uddin, told news agency AFP ahead of Yunus's China trip.

Maritime ties were one of the focusses of Yunus' China visit, with Dhaka inviting Chinese firms to modernise Mongla Port and expand the Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone (CEIZ) in Chattogram.

China pledged significant financial support, including $400 million for Mongla Port, $350 million for the CEIZ, and $150 million in technical assistance, with additional grants to follow, according to news agency BSS.

With Bangladesh's economy in dire straits, attracting Chinese investment might be critical for Yunus. But what is difficult to understand is his reference to India's seven northeastern states in his investment pitch.

India successfully tests vertically launched short range missile with low altitude capability

 

VL-SRSAM being test-fired from the ITR off the Odisha coast on Wednesday (Photo | Special arrangement)

BHUBANESWAR: India on Wednesday successfully flight tested the vertically launched short range surface to air missile (VL-SRSAM) from a defence test facility off the Odisha coast.

Indigenously developed by DRDO, the missile was test-fired from a land-based vertical launcher positioned at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) against a high-speed aerial target at very close range and low altitude.

Defence sources said the canisterised missile neutralised the aerial target at a very low altitude. The missile validated the near-boundary-low altitude capability of the missile system.

“The target was completely destroyed by the missile executing the high turn rate required for engaging targets at very close range, and establishing the missile’s agility, reliability and pin-point accuracy,” the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a statement.

The missile was test-fired by DRDO in collaboration with the Indian Navy with all weapon system elements deployed in combat configuration. It was a part of a user associate trial to validate multiple updated elements of the weapon system.

“The elements, including the missile with indigenous radio frequency seeker, multi-function radar and weapon control system, have performed as per expectations. The performance of the system was validated by the flight data captured by various range instruments developed by ITR Chandipur,” said a defence official.

HAL is ICICI Securities’ top pick: 4 reasons for the big upgrade

 

HAL share price: The share price of HAL has risen 3.77% in the past five trading sessions.(Image: HAL/website)

Hindustan Aeronautics was in trouble after the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) chief called out HAl for delay in deliveries of orders. To that, HAL in its response said, GE Aerospace didn’t supply engines for the light combat aircraft Tejas.

ICICI Securities on HAL: Upgrades to Buy from Hold

However, two days back GE Aerospace delivered the first of 99 F404-IN20 engines to HAL for the light combat aircraft Tejas Mk 1A, which will help ramp up execution. Following this, ICICI Securities in a research note upgraded the rating to ‘Buy’ from ‘Hold’ on the stock. Plus, it raised the target price by 23% to Rs 5,000 from Rs 4,065. “We see this is a vital development that allays execution risk concerns” said ICICI Securities in a research note. 

ICICI Securities on HAL: New orders to leg up order book

The recent order of 97 Tejas Mk 1A and 156 LCH Prachand will leg up the company’s order book. “We expect revenue growth of 25–28% through FY27, based on the order book estimated at more than Rs 1.3 lakh crore,” said ICICI Securities. This may result in earnings per share growth at a compounded annual rate of 39% by FY27 from FY25. 

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While the company can manufacture 24 Tejas Mk 1A, the brokerage house estimates only a gradual ramp-up from 10 in FY26 to 24 by FY30.

Besides, HAL aims to complete the assembly of the first Tejas Mk-II aircraft by October 2025 and achieve its maiden flight by the end of March 2026 (HAL Nears Completion of First Tejas MkII Aircraft as Assembly Progresses Swiftly – Indian Defence Research Wing). 

IAF was not confident on HAL

Coming back to trouble, during Aero India 2025, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh criticized the company for the delays in the delivery of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Mk1A. “You have to alleviate (our) worries and make us more confident. At the moment, I am just not confident of HAL, which is a very wrong thing to happen,” Singh said.

HAL’s stock performance

The share price of HAL has risen 3.77% in the past five trading sessions. The stock has given a return of over 35% in the last one month. However, it has fallen 5.5% in the previous six months. The defence stock has raised investors’ wealth by 22.8% in the last one year. 

Watch: Rocket carrying European orbital vehicle crashes after launch

 

Watch: Rocket carrying European orbital vehicle crashes after launch

The first orbital rocket launch from mainland Europe ended in failure Sunday, when the vehicle exploded seconds after lift-off, hampering the continent's aspirations in the commercial space sector.

Footage showed the Spectrum rocket, built by German company Isar Aerospace, emitting smoke from its sides before plummeting to Earth with a fiery explosion shortly after departing Norway's Andoya Spaceport in the Arctic region.

These rockets are specifically engineered to transport payloads like satellites into or beyond Earth's orbital zone.

This attempt marked the first-ever orbital vehicle launch from European soil, excluding Russia, and and Europe's first financed almost exclusively by the private sector.

Weather conditions had caused multiple launch delays, and Isar Aerospace had maintained modest expectations. "Every second we fly is good, because we collect data and experience. Thirty seconds would already be a great success," said Daniel Metzler, the company's co-founder and chief executive, prior to the launch, as reported by AFP.

"We do not expect to reach orbit with this test. In fact, no company has yet managed to put its first orbital launch vehicle into orbit," he added.

The test flight involved a 28-metre (92-foot), two-stage rocket without any payload.

Prior to this in 2023, Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit conducted Europe's first orbital launch attempt. The mission, which involved launching a rocket from a Boeing 747 over southwest England, failed and subsequently led to the company's closure.

World War 3 coming? 450 million people, 27 countries warned after Russia missile strike

 

Russia said it fired cruise missiles from its Ufa attack sub

The European Union has reportedly warned the bloc's 450 million people to prepare for a World War-like situation. The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that the EU urged citizens across the continent to stockpile food, water, and other essentials to last at least 72 hours.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned that Russia could be capable of launching another attack in Europe by 2030. “If anyone were to miscalculate and think they can get away with an attack on Poland or on any other ally, they would be met with the full force of this fierce alliance. Our reaction will be devastating,” the 27-nation bloc's chief said in Warsaw.

His statement came hours after a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy killed dozens.

"This has to be very clear to Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and anyone else who wants to attack us," Rutte added. It is unclear if EU's warning was directly related to the Russian strike.

Meanwhile, Preparedness and Crisis Management Commissioner Hadja Lahbib said that ‘threats facing Europe are more complex than ever'.

EU chief Rutte warned that Russia is capable of launching another major attack on European soil.

“Let's not forget that Russia is and is remaining the most significant and dark threat to our alliance. Let's not forget that Russia is moving into a wartime economy, and that will have a huge impact on their capacity and capability to build their armed forces.”

Kremlin also fired cruise missiles from its Ufa attack sub in the Sea of Japan. Russian state media claimed that the missiles hit a land target over 620 miles away in the Khabarovsk region, as well as a naval target.

Reacting to the claims, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of ‘manipulations and threats’. “We don’t believe them. The world really doesn’t believe Russia. Unfortunately, even now, even today, on the very day of negotiations, we see how the Russians have already begun to manipulate."

India clears biggest ever defence deal for buying 156 LCH Prachand helicopters worth Rs 62,000 crore

India clears biggest ever defence deal for buying 156 LCH Prachand helicopters worth Rs 62,000 crore

India on Friday has cleared its biggest ever defence deal for buying 156 Made in India Light Combat Prachand helicopters for the Indian Army and Airforce from Hindustan Aeronautical Limited. The deal is worth Rs 62,000 crore. The decision was made by the Cabinet Committee on Security in its meeting today.

In June 2024, HAL received an order for 156 Light Combat Helicopters. Out of these 156 helicopters, 90 will be allocated to the Indian Army and 60 to the Indian Air Force. These helicopters are manufactured at HAL's Tumukru plant in Karnataka.

"The 156 choppers would be divided between the Indian Army (90) and the Indian Air Force for operations along the China and Pakistan borders and would be a major step towards creating jobs and expanding the aerospace ecosystem within the country,” defence sources told ANI.

The Light Combat Prachand Helicopters are the only attack helicopters capable of landing and taking off at altitudes ranging from 5,000 to 16,400 feet, making it ideal for operation in the high-altitude areas of the Siachen glacier and Eastern Ladakh.

These helicopters are equipped to fire both air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles. Additionally, they have been integrated with data chips which gives them the ability to participate in network centric operations. The data chips enabled LCH to operational cooperation and force multiplication practices.

The LCH or Prachand was inducted to Indian Air Force formally in October 2022.

Defence Ministry has signed contracts worth over Rs 2.09 lakh crore in this financial year.

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