Scientists discover planet orbiting closest single star to our Sun

Using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT), astronomers have discovered an exoplanet orbiting Barnard’s star, the closest single star to our Sun. On this newly discovered exoplanet, which has at least half the mass of Venus, a year lasts just over three Earth days. The team’s observations also hint at the existence of three more exoplanet candidates, in various orbits around the star.

This research was presented in the paper “A sub-Earth-mass planet orbiting Barnard’s star” to appear in Astronomy & Astrophysics. Read the ESO press release here.

Image: © ESO/M. Kornmesser; This artist’s impression shows Barnard b, a sub-Earth-mass planet that was discovered orbiting Barnard’s star. Its signal was detected with the ESPRESSO instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), and astronomers were able to confirm it with data from other instruments. An earlier promising detection in 2018 around the same star could not be confirmed by these data. On this newly discovered exoplanet, which has at least half the mass of Venus but is too hot to support liquid water, a year lasts just over three Earth days.

ACME project started

The EU-funded ACME project (Astrophysics Centre for Multimessenger Studies in Europe) launched on 1 September 2024, aiming to enhance accessibility and cohesion across Europe’s top astroparticle and astronomy research infrastructures. Bringing together 40 institutions from 14 countries, ACME offers access to advanced instruments, data, and expertise to drive multi-messenger astrophysics forward.

RadioNet partners will offer transnational access and specialized support for multi-messenger science projects through advanced radio astronomy facilities, including EVN, LOFAR, e-MERLIN, and Effelsberg. They will provide archive access to lower barriers through harmonized data access and analysis tools. IRAM will improve multi-messenger transient event handling at NOEMA and the 30m telescope, quickly delivering high-quality data to the scientific community and aiming for future integration with ACME’s real-time infrastructure. A key focus will be training the multi-messenger community to effectively utilize Europe’s radio astronomy resources.

Read more here.

Image: © Participants of the ACME kick-off meeting in September 2024 in Paris.

JIVE’s anniversary event: 30 years creating the bigger picture together

During a dedicated 90-minute session on the first day of the European VLBI Network Symposium in Bonn from 2 to 6 September 2024, JIVE celebrated its 30th anniversary, surrounded by its community. Key individuals who have shaped JIVE into what it is today reflected on its milestones and future directions. A video featuring last year’s users sharing their experiences at JIVE was also shown. The day wrapped up with a lively quiz about JIVE, filled with humour and friendly competition. Read the full details of that memorable event.

Image: © Eduardo Ros; JIVE Director Agnieszka Słowikowska opening JIVE's 30th anniversary session at the EVN Symposium in Bonn.

Call for Nominations for the 2025 Gruber Cosmology Prize

The Gruber Foundation invites nominations on behalf of individuals whose achievements in Cosmology, Genetics, or Neuroscience would make them suitable candidates for recognition through the 2025 Gruber International Prize Program. Each prize, which is accompanied by a $500,000 unrestricted monetary award, is designed both to recognize groundbreaking work in each field and to inspire additional efforts that effect fundamental shifts in knowledge and culture.

Recipients are selected by a committee of distinguished experts in each field. Nominations that reflect the breadth of the fields and the diversity of those working within them are encouraged.

Nominations must be completed and submitted online. Please see here complete details and access to forms.

The deadline for nominations is 15 December 2024.

Open call for the East Asian VLBI Network (EAVN)

Call for Proposals for the EAVN for the 2025A semester is open.

Submission deadline: 1 November 2024, 8:00 UT

Image: © KASI  

European ALMA Regional Centre

The European ALMA Regional Centre (ARC) provides the interface between the ALMA project and the European science community. The ARC is staffed by scientists with expertise in radio astronomy and interferometry and it supports its users throughout the lifetime of a project, from proposal preparation to data analysis. Users that want to visit an ARC node for a face-to-face visit can apply for funding through the ORP project. 

Westerbork Apertif Long Term Archive

ALTA offers to the world-wide astronomical community free virtual access to data and scientific products produced from all sky surveys of the Northern sky that will be conducted with the new Apertif frontend of the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT), as well as tools to query, further exploit and perform data mining of these products adaptable to diverse research goals. The access/funding offered through the ORP project.

LOFAR Long Term Archive

LTA is a long-established archive and access facility supporting the international LOFAR telescope. It is currently the largest radio astronomical archive in the world already exceeding 45 PB from LOFAR’s past 10 years of operations. The LTA provides a central and key resource for all observed LOFAR astronomical science programs where the data become public within 12 months of first creation. The access/funding is offered through the ORP project.