Can you see it, and what gear do you need?
Of the 4,843 stars in gravityfinder known to hold planets, 4,541 have a measured brightness, and 119 of those are bright enough to see with the naked eye.
The planets themselves are far too faint, and too close to their stars, to see: what you can find is the star each one orbits. Brightness here is apparent magnitude, which runs backwards: the smaller the number, the brighter the star, and each step of 1 is about 2.5 times fainter.
- 119Naked eyemagnitude 6 or brighter
- 813Binocularsmagnitude 6 to 10
- 1,251Small telescopemagnitude 10 to 13
- 2,111Large telescopemagnitude 13 to 16
- 247Not visually observablefainter than magnitude 16
Bright enough to see without any equipment from a dark site. 119 stars with planets are in this class.
| Star | Magnitude | Distance | Planets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ran (Epsilon Eridani) | 3.7 | 10.4 ly | 1 |
| Tau Ceti | 3.5 | 11.8 ly | 3 |
| Epsilon Indi A | 4.7 | 11.9 ly | 1 |
| 82 G. Eridani | 4.3 | 19.6 ly | 4 |
| HD 219134 | 5.6 | 21.3 ly | 6 |
| 61 Vir | 4.7 | 27.7 ly | 3 |
| HD 192310 | 5.7 | 28.7 ly | 2 |
| Pollux | 1.1 | 33.7 ly | 1 |
| 54 Piscium | 5.9 | 36.3 ly | 1 |
| HD 141004 | 4.4 | 38.5 ly | 1 |
| HD 69830 | 6.0 | 41.0 ly | 3 |
| 55 Cnc | 6.0 | 41.0 ly | 5 |
| HD 147513 | 5.4 | 42.1 ly | 1 |
| ups And | 4.1 | 43.7 ly | 3 |
| 47 UMa | 5.0 | 45.0 ly | 3 |
| gam Cep | 3.2 | 46.0 ly | 1 |
| HD 136352 | 5.7 | 47.9 ly | 3 |
| HD 86728 | 5.4 | 48.7 ly | 1 |
| 51 Peg | 5.5 | 50.4 ly | 1 |
| HD 160691 | 5.1 | 50.9 ly | 4 |
| tau Boo | 4.5 | 51.1 ly | 1 |
| HD 190360 | 5.7 | 52.2 ly | 3 |
| HR 810 | 5.4 | 56.5 ly | 1 |
| HD 10647 | 5.5 | 56.5 ly | 1 |
| rho CrB | 5.4 | 57.0 ly | 3 |
Showing the 25 nearest of 119.
Too faint for the eye alone, but a steady pair of 50 mm binoculars shows it as a point of light. 813 stars with planets are in this class.
| Star | Magnitude | Distance | Planets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnard's Star | 9.5 | 6.0 ly | 4 |
| GJ 887 | 7.6 | 10.7 ly | 4 |
| Struve 2398 A | 8.9 | 11.5 ly | 1 |
| Groombridge 34 A | 8.1 | 11.6 ly | 2 |
| Kapteyn's Star | 8.9 | 12.8 ly | 1 |
| GJ 674 | 9.4 | 14.8 ly | 1 |
| GJ 687 | 9.2 | 14.8 ly | 2 |
| GJ 832 | 8.7 | 16.2 ly | 1 |
| GJ 251 | 9.9 | 18.2 ly | 2 |
| Lalande 21185 | 7.5 | 18.5 ly | 2 |
| GJ 229 | 8.2 | 18.8 ly | 2 |
| HD 180617 | 9.1 | 19.3 ly | 1 |
| Luyten's Star | 9.8 | 19.3 ly | 2 |
| GJ 338 B | 7.7 | 20.7 ly | 1 |
| Struve 2398 B | 9.7 | 22.3 ly | 1 |
| GJ 393 | 9.7 | 22.9 ly | 1 |
| GJ 514 | 9.1 | 24.8 ly | 1 |
| Gl 686 | 9.6 | 26.6 ly | 1 |
| Gliese 48 | 10.0 | 26.9 ly | 1 |
| GJ 433 | 9.8 | 29.6 ly | 3 |
| HD 285968 | 9.9 | 30.9 ly | 1 |
| AU Mic | 8.8 | 31.7 ly | 4 |
| Gl 49 | 9.6 | 32.1 ly | 1 |
| HD 260655 | 9.6 | 32.6 ly | 2 |
| GJ 649 | 9.7 | 33.9 ly | 1 |
Showing the 25 nearest of 813.
Needs a small backyard telescope, 4 to 6 inches (100 to 150 mm) across. 1,251 stars with planets are in this class.
| Star | Magnitude | Distance | Planets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proxima Centauri | 11.0 | 4.2 ly | 2 |
| Ross 128 | 11.1 | 11.0 ly | 1 |
| GJ 1061 | 12.7 | 12.0 ly | 3 |
| YZ Cet | 12.1 | 12.1 ly | 3 |
| Wolf 1061 | 10.1 | 14.0 ly | 3 |
| GJ 9066 | 12.7 | 14.6 ly | 1 |
| GJ 876 | 10.2 | 15.2 ly | 4 |
| GJ 682 | 10.9 | 16.3 ly | 2 |
| GJ 3323 | 12.6 | 17.5 ly | 2 |
| HN Lib | 11.3 | 20.4 ly | 1 |
| GJ 896 A | 10.1 | 20.4 ly | 1 |
| GJ 581 | 10.6 | 20.5 ly | 3 |
| GJ 625 | 10.1 | 21.1 ly | 1 |
| LTT 1445 A | 10.6 | 22.4 ly | 2 |
| GJ 667 C | 10.6 | 23.6 ly | 5 |
| GJ 3378 | 12.4 | 25.2 ly | 1 |
| Gar | 11.4 | 26.3 ly | 1 |
| GJ 1289 | 12.5 | 27.2 ly | 1 |
| GJ 849 | 10.4 | 28.7 ly | 2 |
| Añañuca | 10.2 | 30.7 ly | 3 |
| GJ 357 | 10.9 | 30.8 ly | 3 |
| GJ 680 | 10.1 | 31.5 ly | 1 |
| Noquisi | 10.7 | 31.8 ly | 1 |
| L 98-59 | 11.7 | 34.6 ly | 5 |
| COCONUTS-2 A | 11.3 | 35.5 ly | 1 |
Showing the 25 nearest of 1,251.
Needs a large amateur telescope, 10 inches (250 mm) or more, under a properly dark sky. 2,111 stars with planets are in this class.
| Star | Magnitude | Distance | Planets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teegarden's Star | 15.1 | 12.5 ly | 3 |
| GJ 1002 | 13.8 | 15.8 ly | 2 |
| GJ 4274 | 13.3 | 23.6 ly | 2 |
| GJ 1151 | 13.8 | 26.2 ly | 1 |
| CD Cet | 13.9 | 28.1 ly | 1 |
| GJ 3512 | 15.2 | 30.9 ly | 2 |
| G 192-15 | 14.6 | 31.1 ly | 2 |
| Wolf 1069 | 14.0 | 31.3 ly | 1 |
| GJ 3988 | 13.6 | 32.3 ly | 1 |
| L 363-38 | 13.0 | 33.4 ly | 1 |
| GJ 1265 | 14.0 | 33.4 ly | 1 |
| G 261-6 | 15.8 | 34.7 ly | 1 |
| Ross 508 | 14.2 | 36.6 ly | 1 |
| 55 Cnc B | 13.2 | 40.7 ly | 2 |
| GJ 1132 | 13.7 | 41.1 ly | 2 |
| GJ 3779 | 13.0 | 44.8 ly | 1 |
| TOI-540 | 14.8 | 45.7 ly | 1 |
| GJ 1214 | 15.1 | 47.8 ly | 1 |
| LHS 3844 | 15.2 | 48.5 ly | 1 |
| LHS 1140 | 14.2 | 48.9 ly | 2 |
| G 264-012 | 13.1 | 52.2 ly | 2 |
| LHS 1478 | 13.3 | 59.5 ly | 1 |
| TOI-6716 | 14.8 | 61.6 ly | 1 |
| WD 0806-661 | 13.9 | 62.8 ly | 1 |
| TOI-6324 | 13.4 | 67.0 ly | 1 |
Showing the 25 nearest of 2,111.
Too faint to see by eye through any backyard telescope: it is known from survey data, not from an eyepiece. 247 stars with planets are in this class.
| Star | Magnitude | Distance | Planets |
|---|---|---|---|
| TRAPPIST-1 | 17.0 | 40.5 ly | 7 |
| VHS J125601.92-125723.9 | 17.7 | 41.4 ly | 1 |
| LHS 3154 | 17.6 | 51.4 ly | 1 |
| WD 1856+534 | 17.2 | 80.7 ly | 1 |
| LP 791-18 | 16.9 | 86.4 ly | 3 |
| LP 890-9 | 18.0 | 106 ly | 2 |
| TOI-237 | 16.4 | 124 ly | 2 |
| Kepler-42 | 16.7 | 131 ly | 3 |
| TOI-715 | 16.7 | 138 ly | 1 |
| K2-25 | 16.2 | 147 ly | 1 |
| TOI-2015 | 16.1 | 154 ly | 2 |
| TOI-2266 | 16.5 | 168 ly | 1 |
| K2-315 | 17.7 | 186 ly | 1 |
| K2-28 | 16.5 | 205 ly | 1 |
| 2MASS J12073346-3932539 | 20.1 | 210 ly | 1 |
| TOI-1696 | 16.8 | 212 ly | 1 |
| 2MASS J0249-0557 A | 18.3 | 215 ly | 1 |
| TOI-7384 | 16.7 | 218 ly | 1 |
| TOI-4184 | 17.1 | 226 ly | 1 |
| Kepler-1582 | 18.0 | 257 ly | 1 |
| K2-146 | 16.7 | 259 ly | 2 |
| TOI-4860 | 16.5 | 261 ly | 1 |
| K2-384 | 16.1 | 270 ly | 5 |
| Kepler-1649 | 17.9 | 301 ly | 2 |
| Kepler-446 | 17.5 | 314 ly | 3 |
Showing the 25 nearest of 247.
The classes assume a dark site and typical optics: city skies cost a class or more. Our own solar system’s worlds are graded on their own pages, from their verified brightness. Every planet and star page shows its own class under “Can you see it tonight?”.