Wolf 359

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Wolf 359

Wolf 359 is shown near the ecliptic in the southern region of Leo. It is invisible to the naked eye.
Observation data
Epoch J2000
Constellation Leo
Right ascension 10h 56m 29.2s
Declination +07° 00' 53"
Apparent magnitude (V) 13.53
Spectral Characteristics
Spectral type M6 V
U-B color index 1.34
B-V color index 2.01
Variable type Flare star
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv) +14.9 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: -3828 mas/yr
Dec.: -2720 mas/yr
Parallax (π) 419.10 ± 2.10 mas
Distance 7.78 ± 0.04 ly
(2.39 ± 0.01 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV) 16.64
Physical Characteristics
Mass 0.09-0.13 M
Radius 0.16-0.19 R
Luminosity 0.00002 L
Temperature 3,500 K
Metallicity
Rotation
Age <1.0 × 1010 years
Other designations
CN Leonis, GCTP 2553, GJ 406, G 045-020, LTT 12923, LFT 750, LHS 36.

Wolf 359 is a star located approximately 2.4 parsecs or 7.80 light years from Earth's solar system. It is one of the nearest stars to the Sun; only the Alpha Centauri system and Barnard's star are known to be closer. Its celestial position is in the constellation Leo, near the ecliptic. It is an extremely faint red dwarf, too dim to be visible to the naked eye, and it is a flare star.

The star was discovered using astrophotography by German astronomer Max Wolf in 1918. Its closest neighbor is Ross 128, 1.16 pc or 3.79 ly away.

[edit] References in science fiction

See Wolf 359 in fiction

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