Aster › Space program › Barnard's Star b
Barnard's Star b
Position on the route: 96/130 · level needed 1050 · journey (Mk0 engine) 300.7 h
By the numbers
| Distance | 5.96 light-years |
|---|---|
| Mass | ≈ 0.2–0.4 Earths (catalogue) |
| Year | 2–7 days |
| Star | M-type red dwarf |
The story
Barnard’s Star is the nearest single star to the Sun (5.96 light-years) and the fastest-moving star in the sky: 10.4 arcseconds a year. An ‘ice planet’ announced in 2018 was refuted in 2021; but in 2024–2025 ESPRESSO and MAROON-X found four small planets around it, a fifth to a third of an Earth in mass, with years of only 2.3–6.7 days.
They are not habitable, but they are among the lightest exoplanets known: a mass between Mars and Earth. In the game, one of our nearest ‘real’ neighbours; the surface is scorched.
Missions
- ESPRESSO (ESO) and MAROON-X (Gemini): velocity measurements
- Future: the Habitable Worlds Observatory
Colony note
A scorched rock; no life. A Mk2 shield and cryo sleep are needed. Near the Kesh region.
What probes bring back
- 5.96 light-years: the nearest single star to the Sun. Four small planets were reported in 2024–2025, each a fifth to a third of Earth’s mass, with years of 2–7 days.
- The ‘ice planet’ announced in 2018 was refuted in 2021; it turned out to be a stellar-activity signal.