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Barnard's star

   Also found in: Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.02 sec.
Barnard's star
n
(Astronomy & Space / Celestial Objects) a red dwarf star in the constellation Ophiuchus having the largest proper motion known
[named after Edward Emerson Barnard (1857-1923), US astronomer]

Barnard's star  (bärnrdz)
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).


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By comparison, Barnard's star resides 6 light-years away, and our nearest neighbor, at a distance of 4 light years, is the system of three stars collectively known as Alpha Centauri.
Barnard's star is a particularly famous example of a star with such a wobble, and certain astronomers have followed its motions for decades.
 
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