By Adam England
Science fiction has revolved around the concept of aliens and UFOs for hundreds of years. Voltaire published Micromegas in 1752 telling of a wisdom imparting giant who visited Earth, with authors like Washington Irving and H.G. Wells helping develop the genre through the 19th century, which evolved into the literal billion dollar industries of movie and television we have today. The development of the telescope and astronomy coincided with the growing imaginations of these and other authors and artists, and have given us many of the fictional concepts that we are now developing or proving accurate.
After the Alpha Centauri star system, the next closest star to Earth is Barnard’s Star. As early as 1934, science fiction writers imagined this star surrounded by habitable planets. Now one of the most referenced stars in science fiction, Barnard’s star has featured in dozens of books, movies, shows, and video games, including as a rest stop for travelers in Douglas Adams The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The first actual evidence of a planetary system was in 1963 when astronomer Peter van de Kamp used data going back to 1938 to measure minor movements in the stars orbit which he attributed to the gravitational pull of at least one large planet. His prediction was verified in 2018 when astronomers announced a 3.2 Earth mass planet orbiting every 233 days. Named “Barnard’s Star b”, the super-Earth orbits 60% closer to its host star than we do to our Sun. Even at this close distance, the planet is presumed to have an average surface temperature of −274 °F due to the star being a much dimmer and cooler red dwarf.
In the mid-1970s, The British Interplanetary Society designed a hypothetical spacecraft they dubbed Project Daedalus that would be used to visit Barnard’s Star. Powered by a fusion rocket, the unmanned spacecraft would take 50 years to traverse the 5.9 light years of interstellar space and return data to Earth. While much of the technology they envisioned has been developed in the years since, the costs would be astronomical, and require mining the fuel Helium-3 from our moon or the atmosphere of Jupiter. Maybe Elon will work on that next.
Located in the constellation Ophiuchus “The Serpent Bearer”, Barnard’s Star is best visible in the Northern Hemisphere during the summer months, opposite Orion. Not visible to the naked eye, it can be found with a moderate backyard telescope. Whether you use a star chart, mobile app, or computerized telescope, get out and see if you can find Barnard’s Star! You will be looking at one of our closest interstellar neighbors, and they just may be looking back at you.
If you would like to learn more about the sky, telescopes, or socialize with other amateur astronomers, visit us at www.prescottastronomyclub.org or Facebook @PrescottAstronomyClub to find the next star party, Star Talk, or event.
Adam England is a local insurance broker who moonlights as an amateur astronomer, writer, and interplanetary conquest consultant. Follow his rants and exploits on Twitter @AZSalesman or at Facebook.com/insuredbyadam
Image courtesy of Sky & Telescope Magazine.