'Smallest planets ever': NASA and Gemini North spot tiny worlds near Earth

Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh

Credit: International Gemini Observatory

Neighbor Planets

Astronomers found four rocky exoplanets orbiting Barnard’s Star, our closest single-star neighbor, marking a historic breakthrough in small-planet discovery.

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Tiny Worlds

Using MAROON-X on Gemini North, scientists detected the smallest exoplanet ever found with the radial velocity technique—just 20% of Earth’s mass.

Credit: International Gemini Observatory

Red Dwarf

Barnard’s Star, a nearby red dwarf, now known to host a compact planetary system, gives critical insight into planet formation around the universe's most common stars.

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Dust-Free Data

With data from 112 nights over three years, astronomers confirmed four planets, ending decades of false starts in the search for planets around this elusive star.

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Precision Hunt

MAROON-X detects planets by spotting minute stellar wobbles, showing the gravitational tug of tiny planets—achieving a new precision frontier in planet hunting.

Smallest Ever

The fourth planet is the least massive exoplanet ever detected by radial velocity, showing that technology now reaches into sub-Earth territory.

Fast Orbits

These rocky planets whip around Barnard’s Star in days, hinting at dense, hot worlds—but still offering clues on how small planets form close to their stars.

Great White Whale

After a century of failed hunts, Barnard’s Star—planet hunters’ "great white whale"—finally yields its secrets with the help of cutting-edge astronomy.

Exoplanet Future

With MAROON-X now set to become a permanent Gemini North instrument, astronomers expect a new era of detecting Earth-sized and smaller worlds near our cosmic doorstep.

Credit: International Gemini Observatory