Four Mini-Earths Discovered Orbiting Barnard's Star

Astronomers confirm four rocky exoplanets near Earth's closest single star using advanced detection instruments.

Barnard's Star, located six light-years away, is now known to host four small rocky planets, each 20-30% the mass of Earth.
The discovery was made using the MAROON-X instrument on the Gemini North telescope and data from the ESPRESSO instrument on the Very Large Telescope.
Three planets were initially confirmed through three years of observations, with a fourth planet validated by combining data from two independent teams.
These planets orbit very close to their host star, completing orbits in just a few days, making them likely too hot to support life.
This breakthrough highlights the precision of modern astronomical instruments and sets a new benchmark for detecting smaller exoplanets around nearby stars.