Could life exist on Barnard b, one of the nearest planets to our sun at only 6 light-years away but its host star is dim making it a very cold planet. via Earthsky: Here's more exciting work regarding the newly discovered super-Earth exoplanet orbiting the legendary Barnard's Star. This star is the closest single star (and now the second-closest star system) to our own sun at only six light-years away. Astronomers announced its new-found planet – labeled Barnard b (or GJ 699 b) – as recently as November 2018. Last week (January 10, 2019) – at the 233rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in Seattle, Washington – astronomers from Villanova University explained their new work showing that – although this world is likely cold (-170 degrees Celsius or -254 Fahrenheit) – it could still have the potential to harbor primitive life. Here's the thing about Barnard's Star b, whose mass is just over three times that of Earth. It orbits Barnard's Star – a dim red dwarf – every 233