Edward Barnard

Edward Emerson Barnard was an American astronomer known for precise observation and astrophotography in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He worked at major observatories and became especially associated with high-proper-motion stars.

Barnard identified Barnard's Star in 1916. The faint red dwarf is notable for having exceptionally high proper motion across the sky relative to the Sun.

Barnard's Star is a nearby red dwarf in the constellation Ophiuchus and has one of the largest known proper motions of any star relative to the Sun. Its apparent position changes noticeably over long astronomical timescales, even though the star is not visible to the unaided eye.

Barnard made important observations of the Milky Way, comets, and dark nebulae, and he photographed astronomical objects in detail. He is also associated with the discovery of several moons of Jupiter, including Amalthea in 1892.