Barnard's star planetary system
Barnard's star is a cool red dwarf of spectral type M3.5-4 V approximately 6.0 light-years from Earth (1.83 parsecs). It hosts 4 confirmed exoplanets.
Host star
- Name
- Barnard's star
- Spectral type
- M3.5-4 V
- Effective temperature
- 3,195 K
- Mass
- 0.16 M☉ (solar masses)
- Radius
- 0.18 R☉ (solar radii)
- Distance
- 1.83 pc (6.0 ly)
- Hipparcos catalog
- HIP 87937
Confirmed planets (4)
| Planet | Class | Mass (M⊕) | Radius (R⊕) | Period (d) | Distance (AU) | Eq. temp (K) | Discovered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnard d | Earth-sized | 0.26 | 0.69 | 2.34 | 0.0188 | 483 | 2025 |
| Barnard b | Earth-sized | 0.30 | 0.72 | 3.15 | 0.0229 | 438 | 2024 |
| Barnard c | Earth-sized | 0.34 | 0.74 | 4.12 | 0.0274 | 400 | 2025 |
| Barnard e | Earth-sized | 0.19 | 0.64 | 6.74 | 0.0381 | 340 | 2025 |
The planets in detail
Barnard d is an Earth-sized world with about 0.69 Earth radii and 0.26 Earth masses. It orbits Barnard's star at 0.0188 AU with a 2.3-day year, and a warm equilibrium temperature of 483 K. It was confirmed in 2025 via radial velocity (Doppler) measurements.
Barnard b is an Earth-sized world with about 0.72 Earth radii and 0.30 Earth masses. It orbits Barnard's star at 0.0229 AU with a 3.2-day year, bathed in 7× Earth's stellar flux, and a warm equilibrium temperature of 438 K. It was confirmed in 2024 via radial velocity (Doppler) measurements.
Barnard c is an Earth-sized world with about 0.74 Earth radii and 0.34 Earth masses. It orbits Barnard's star at 0.0274 AU with a 4.1-day year, and a warm equilibrium temperature of 400 K. It was confirmed in 2025 via radial velocity (Doppler) measurements.
Barnard e is an Earth-sized world with about 0.64 Earth radii and 0.19 Earth masses. It orbits Barnard's star at 0.0381 AU with a 6.7-day year, and a temperate equilibrium temperature of 340 K. It was confirmed in 2025 via radial velocity (Doppler) measurements.
Discovery
The Barnard's star system was first identified in 2024, with confirmation work continuing through 2025 using radial velocity (Doppler) measurements. Detection facilities: Gemini Observatory, Paranal Observatory.
Observing from Earth
Exoplanets cannot be resolved visually with amateur telescopes — the host star's glare is overwhelming and even space-based direct imaging requires sophisticated coronagraphs. What you can observe is the host star itself at right ascension 269.4486°, declination 4.7380°. Use the 3D orrery above to inspect orbital geometry, planetary scale, and the habitable-zone overlay — the orbits are computed from the published Keplerian elements and animate at user-controlled time rates.
