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'''Barnard's Star''' is a very cool and dim star that is the third closest star to our [[solar system]] after [[Proxima Centauri]] and [[Alpha Centauri|Alpha Centauri AB]] respectively, located some 6 [[light year]]s from Sol in the constellation of [[Ophiuchus]].<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/place/Barnards-star Barnard's Star] from britanica.com</ref>  

'''Barnard's Star''' is a very cool and dim star that is the third closest star to our [[solar system]] after [[Proxima Centauri]] and [[Alpha Centauri|Alpha Centauri AB]] respectively, located some 6 [[light year]]s from Sol in the constellation of [[Ophiuchus]].<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/place/Barnards-star Barnard's Star] from britanica.com</ref>  

The star was first discovered in 1916 by and then named after American astronomer E. E. Barnard, and like [[Proxima Centauri]] is too dim to be viewed by the unaided eye. Barnard noticed in his observations, that the star has the largest known proper motion of all known stars, moving around 10 arcsecond per year.<ref name=hipp/> This is due to the star's closeness to our own [[Solar System]] and actual travel speed through space.<ref>Barnard, E. (1916). A small star with large proper-motion. ''The Astronomical Journal'', 29, p.181. [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1916AJ.....29..181B Online]</ref> Barnard's Star is approaching our own system at the speed of 140 kilometers per second and will approach as close as 3.8 light years (making it the closest star) around 11,800 A.D. before receding.  

The star was first discovered in 1916 by and then named after American astronomer E. E. Barnard, and like [[Proxima Centauri]] is too dim to be viewed by the unaided eye. Barnard noticed in his observations, that the star has the largest known proper motion of all known stars, moving around 10 [[arcsecond]]s per year.<ref name=hipp/> This is due to the star's closeness to our own [[Solar System]] and actual travel speed through space.<ref>Barnard, E. (1916). A small star with large proper-motion. ''The Astronomical Journal'', 29, p.181. [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1916AJ.....29..181B Online]</ref> Barnard's Star is approaching our own system at the speed of 140 kilometers per second and will approach as close as 3.8 light years (making it the closest star) around 11,800 A.D. before receding.  

Barnard's Star is classified as a spectral type M4.0Ve red dwarf, with only 17 percent of Sol's mass, some 15 to 20 percent of its diameter, but only estimated to have 0.04% of the luminosity of our star. If the Earth orbited Barnard's Star at the same distance as we orbit the sun, the star would be only 100 times more bright then the full moon.<ref>[http://www.solstation.com/stars/barnards.htm Barnard's Star] from solstation.com</ref> The star is relatively inactive, and has a rotation period of only 130.4 days, typical for an older [[red dwarf]] star. Barnard's Star however isn't completely inactive, but in 1998 a [[solar flare|flare]] was observed, which scientists believed would be unlikely on such an old star.   

Barnard's Star is classified as a spectral type M4.0Ve red dwarf, with only 17 percent of Sol's mass, some 15 to 20 percent of its diameter, but only estimated to have 0.04% of the luminosity of our star. If the Earth orbited Barnard's Star at the same distance as we orbit the sun, the star would be only 100 times more bright then the full moon.<ref>[http://www.solstation.com/stars/barnards.htm Barnard's Star] from solstation.com</ref> The star is relatively inactive, and has a rotation period of only 130.4 days, typical for an older [[red dwarf]] star. Barnard's Star however isn't completely inactive, but in 1998 a [[solar flare|flare]] was observed, which scientists believed would be unlikely on such an old star.