Barnard’s Star has fascinated astronomers for decades. At just six light-years away, it is the second-closest single star to our own Sun. Now, two separate research teams have found solid evidence that four tiny planets—each less than half the mass of Earth—circle this nearby star at incredibly close distances.

Considered a solitary star for its lack of stellar companions, Barnard's Star is notoriously lonely—signs of any exoplanets in its orbit have come and gone without reliable evidence. But today, astronomers know the star is in good company.

Astronomers have detected four small planets orbiting Barnard’s Star, one of the closest stars to Earth, at just six light-years away. This discovery, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, marks a significant step in the search for rocky exoplanets beyond our solar system.

Consequently, even though it is one of the closest stars to Earth, such that its light takes only six years to get here, it is too faint to be seen with the naked eye. Now, four small planets have been found orbiting the star.