Original project · 2026

Complete star-system information

Gliese 12

A quiet nearby red-dwarf system containing the Earth-sized planet Gliese 12 b.

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Host starGliese 12

Nearby quiet M-type red dwarf

Distance from EarthApprox. 40 light-years

One-way light time: 40 years

Worlds listed here1

1 catalog candidates flagged for habitability discussion.

Communication round trip80 years

Before any scientific processing or response delay.

System architecture

Gliese 12

Star typeNearby quiet M-type red dwarf
ArchitectureA nearby system with the small transiting planet Gliese 12 b.
How it is observedTransit observations constrain the planet's size and orbit.
Research importanceIts proximity and small planet make it attractive for atmospheric follow-up.
Main uncertaintyWhether it retained an atmosphere is one of the central unanswered questions.
Catalog worldGliese 12 b
DetectionTransit
Direct imageNo
Follow-up valueHigh

System travel calculation

How long to reach Gliese 12?

This is the approximate distance from Earth to the host star system. Every listed planet in the system is effectively at the same interstellar distance for travel estimates.

At light speed40 years299,792 km/s

A physical reference only. A spacecraft with mass cannot reach light speed.

At 10% of light speed400 years29,979 km/s — hypothetical

No operational spacecraft can sustain this interstellar cruise speed.

At 1% of light speed4,000 years2,998 km/s — hypothetical

Still far beyond current spacecraft propulsion.

At Parker Solar Probe peak62,385 yearsAbout 692,000 km/h

Parker reaches this speed only very close to the Sun; it is not an interstellar cruise speed.

At New Horizons launch speed737,497 yearsAbout 58,536 km/h

A comparison using a real high-energy launch from Earth.

At Voyager 1 speed705,394 yearsAbout 61,200 km/h

A practical comparison with a spacecraft already moving into interstellar space.

Catalog worlds in this system

1 listed worlds

Primary catalog source: NASA Science ↗