Key Information
Wolf 359
| Type | Star System |
| Star Type | M6V – Red Dwarf |
| Diameter | 124,499 miles |
| Temperature | 4,400 °F |
| Distance | 7.8 light years |
| Planets | 2 (unconfirmed) |
| Date of Discovery | Unknown |
Learning Point
- Wolf 359 is one of the closest stars to us, is a small and cool red dwarf star, and may have two planets in orbit around it. Measuring distances of stars is challenging, and Wolf 359 is one that moves quickly across the sky compared to most other stars.
Project
- Create a catalogue of the 10 nearest stars and there distances to us.
- Overview
- Comparison
- Measuring Movement
Location
| Located in | Leo constellation, within the Milky Way |
Fun Facts
- Wolf 359 is one of the coolest stars that can generate hydrogen fusion and shine. It is able to output on 0.1% of the energy of the sun.
- It is a younger star than our sun, thought to be at most about a billion years old.
- It is only slightly larger than Jupiter, with Jupiter being 73% of the size of Wolf 359.
- Red dwarf stars like Wolf 359 can generate massive flares, which create radiation. It is thought one of the proposed planets might receive three times more radiation than Earth does.
Past Lessons
| 93 | June 3, 2024 | (North America) |