Astronomers have detected four small planets orbiting Barnard’s Star, one of the closest stars to Earth, at just six light-years away. This discovery, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, marks a significant step in the search for rocky exoplanets beyond our solar system.

Exciting new research suggests there are four miniature planets orbiting Barnard’s Star, each thought to be just 20 to 30% the mass of Earth.

Barnard’s Star has fascinated astronomers for decades. At just six light-years away, it is the second-closest single star to our own Sun. Now, two separate research teams have found solid evidence that four tiny planets—each less than half the mass of Earth—circle this nearby star at incredibly close distances.

The four exoplanets orbit Barnard’s Star so closely that their years last only a few Earth days. They are probably rocky and, given their proximity to the star, uninhabitable. In fact, the 2024 study estimates Barnard b’s surface temperature to be a balmy 257 degrees Fahrenheit (125 degrees Celsius).

Consequently, even though it is one of the closest stars to Earth, such that its light takes only six years to get here, it is too faint to be seen with the naked eye. Now, four small planets have been found orbiting the star.