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From: darrelj@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Darrel VanBuer)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: SPACE Digest V3 #185 - Barnard's planet
Message-ID: <453@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 18-Aug-83 15:08:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.453
Posted: Thu Aug 18 15:08:36 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 22-Aug-83 22:30:51 EDT
References: <4198@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Reply-To: darrelj@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Darrel VanBuer)
Organization: System Development Corporation, Santa Monica
Lines: 10

There is believed to be a gas giant planet (i.e. half of a binary star
system not big enough to ignite) around Barnard's star, but the evidence is
more circumstantial than for the ring around Vega.
The existence of the planet is deduced from a very slight, regular wobble in
the position of Barnard's star.  The amount of the wobble is barely above
the noise level (imposed by atmosphere mostly), so it's presence is based in
part on a long term Fourier analysis of it's position.  It also requires
great patience (Jupiter's period is 12 years) to detect.
Also, since it hasn't been observed directly, there is also the (slight)
chance it is some other exotic, massive object.