: a red dwarf star of the ninth magnitude that is located approximately six light years away in the constellation of Ophiuchus
Such is the case with Barnard's Star. It is the fourth closest star to Earth at only 36 trillion miles away, yet you'll need a telescope to see it.—Tom Burns, Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, 16 July 1995
Note:
Barnard's Star is notable because it is one of the closest stars to the Sun. Only the Alpha Centauri system is closer.
Word History
Etymology
after Edward Emerson Barnard †1923 American astronomer
Note:
Barnard drew attention to the star, previously recorded on photographic plates, because of its unusually large proper motion; see "A Small Star with Large Proper Motion," Popular Astronomy, vol. 24 (1916), pp. 504-08 (article dated by the author July 25, 1916).
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