Wolf 359 (star)
Wolf 359 is an M class dwarf star (also known as a red dwarf) in the constellation Leo. Its alternate names and catalogue numbers are
Proximity and properties
Wolf 359 is the fifth closest star to earth.[3] Located about 7.8 light years from earth, it is much smaller than earth’s star, Sol, at about 16% of Sol’s diameter. At the same distance from earth as Sol, it would be necessary to use a telescope to see its shape. It has approximately 9 % of Sol’s mass. Wolf 359 is also much dimmer at about 1/200,000th of Sol’s luminosity. It is too dim to see with the human eye and would cast only about 10 times the brightness reflected during a full moon on earth.[4][5][6]
Wolf 359 is a variable star [7] and flares periodically, growing dramatically in brightness and then receding in luminosity.[8]
Location
Wolf 359 is located on the celestial sphere coordinates[9] at right ascension 10 hours 56 minutes 29.2 seconds and declination +07 degrees 00 arcminutes 53 arcseconds.[10][11][12][13][14]
References
- ↑ Gliese and Jahreiss name denoted Catalog of Nearby Stars
- ↑ Luyten Half Second catalogue (LHS)
- ↑ Proxima Centauri, 4.2 light years; Alpha Centauri A & Alpha Centauri B, 4.4 light years; Bernard’s Star, 5.9 light years
- ↑ Coronagraphic Imaging of Nearby Stars Comparison with Ground-based View Space Telescope Science Institute
- ↑ Wolf 359
- ↑ On the mass radius relation of late M dwarfs Caillault, J-P, Patterson, J. (1990) Astronomical Journal
- ↑ catalogued as variable star CN Leonis
- ↑ Optical and infrared photometry of dwarf M and K stars Doyle, J.G., Butler, C.J. (1990) Astronomy and Astrophysics. 235:335-339.
- ↑ Note: The celestial sphere has an earth correlated equator which is a projection of the same coordinates of earth. The correlating prime meridian runs through the vernal equinox (i.e. 0 hours 0 minutes & 0 seconds) marking the time from the vernal equinox in a 24-hour circle. So declination (latitude) for stars will directly correlate with that of earth and right ascension (longitude) correlates to a sphere that circumscribes earth’s orbital path around Sol. See Celestial Coordinate System University of Tennessee; and Celestial Coordinates James Schombert, Dept. of Physics, Univ. of Oregon
- ↑ See illustration at The universe within 12.5 light years Richard Powell
- ↑ Research Consortium on Nearby Stars (RECONS)
- ↑ Recon census of objects nearer than 10 parsecs
- ↑ The 100 nearest star systems
- ↑ Nearby stars database Northern Arizona University
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Stellar classification (astrophysics)