The Guardian of the Bear

The tour of this sector begins with Barnard’s star, the second nearest star. Since many of the stars in this sector reside in the constellation named after the Greek hero Hercules, his many attributes and failings are discussed. Recent results show that many Earth-sized planets around smaller stars like Barnard’s star are likely to retain very thick atmospheres, and the implications of this result are explained. The tour continues outward until it reaches Arcturus and the new worlds Enaiposha and Hypatia.