Barnard's star

[bahr-nerdz]

noun

1. a red dwarf star of magnitude 9.5 in the constellation Ophiuchus, having the largest known proper motion and being the nearest star to earth (5.9 light-years) beyond the Alpha Centauri system.

Barnard's star

noun

1. a red dwarf star in the constellation Ophiuchus having the largest proper motion known

Barnard's star

1. A dim, main-sequence red dwarf in the constellation Ophiuchus that is the second nearest star to Earth after the Alpha-Centauri system. Although it is only 5.98 light-years from our solar system, it is too faint to be seen with the unaided eye. Barnard's star has a greater proper motion (movement with respect to the background stars that is caused by an object's own motion rather than by how it is viewed from Earth) than any other star. Barnard's star is named for its identifier, American astronomer Edward Emerson Barnard (1857–1923).

Word History and Origins

Origin of Barnard's star¹

After Edward E. Barnard (1857–1923), American astronomer, its discoverer

Word History and Origins

Origin of Barnard's star¹

C20: named after Edward Emerson _barnard

Example Sentences

Barnard’s star, named after the astronomer, is a red dwarf floating in our Solar System’s neighbourhood.

Read more on Space Scoop

After carefully observing and studying the data from the instrument for more than 3 years, the team found solid evidence of four exoplanets around Barnard's star.

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By contrast, Barnard's star is the closest solo star to our own.

Read more on Salon

Newly discovered by astronomers publishing for the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, Barnard b orbits the closest solo star to our own solar system, known as Barnard's star.

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Putting this together, the scientists modeled what aliens would see from hypothetical planets orbiting three nearby stars: HD 95735, Barnard’s Star, and Alpha Centauri A. All of these are less than 8 light-years away, practically in our galactic back yard, maximizing the snooping capabilities of any nosy aliens.

Read more on Scientific American