About Barnard's Star
Barnard's Star is a rare variable star. It lies about 5.9 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Oph, shines at apparent magnitude 9.54 and has spectral type sdM4.
One of the closest objects of its kind to the Sun.
Rare variable star 38 EP
Barnard's Star
RA 269.4521° · Dec 4.6934° · star
Score breakdown
· 3 badgesRare 46 pts → Epic
- Stellar next door (<10 ly) +25
- Has a proper name +8
- Variable star +5
Total score 38
8 more points to reach Epic.
Badges
- Variable star · +5
- Stellar next door (<10 ly) · +25
- Has a proper name · +8
Trivia
What makes it special
- Next-door neighbour. One of the closest objects of its kind to the Sun.
Could we get there?
- Verdict. A multi-generation starship could one day attempt the crossing.
Getting there
- Aboard Voyager 1. ≈ 104.5 thousand years at Voyager 1's speed (17 km/s).
- Fastest probe ever. ≈ 9288 years even at the Parker Solar Probe's 192 km/s.
- At 10% light speed. ≈ 59.5 years in a starship at a tenth of light speed.
- Distance. 5.9 light-years from Earth.
Look-back time
- Look-back time. The light you'd see left around the year 2020.
Saying hello
- Say hello. A radio message and its reply would take 11.9 years round-trip.
How we found it
- Named. Notable enough to have earned a proper name, not just a catalogue number.
Properties
- absmag
- 13.235
- bv
- 1.57
- constellation
- Oph
- dist ly
- 5.9484
- mag
- 9.54
- name
- Barnard's Star
- named
- yes
- spect
- sdM4
How to see it
Look for Barnard's Star in the constellation Oph. At apparent magnitude 9.54, a small backyard telescope will bring it into view.
Like any astronomical target, Barnard's Star is best seen from a dark site away from city lights, and when it is above the horizon depends on your latitude and the time of year. The visibility panel above works out tonight's viewing window for your saved location.
Why Barnard's Star is a rare variable star
Barnard's Star scores 38 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the rare tier. Another 8 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 3 science badges — Variable star, Stellar next door (<10 ly) and Has a proper name — each earned for a real, measurable property of the object. Rarity on Spacedle is never random: the more remarkable an object's astrophysics, the more badges it collects, the higher it scores, and the rarer it ranks.