Astronomers have identified a quartet of small rocky planets orbiting Barnard's star - one of our closest stellar neighbors - though they concluded that all of them are too hot to harbor life, much like our solar system's innermost planet Mercury.

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.

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.