798
edits
Changes
no edit summary
Discovered in 1918 by German astronomer Max Wolf, whom the star is named after, Wolf 359 is a dim [[red dwarf]] with a [[spectral class]] of M6.5. The star's mass is between 9 and 13 percent of Sol's, and has a diameter of approximately 16 to 19 of Sol's. The luminosity is a mere .002% of our own star, so dim if Wolf 359 replaced our sun, it would appear only 10 times brighter then the moon from our world. Like many [[red dwarf|red dwarfs]], Wolf 359 is a [[flare star]] and can violently flare and brighten on occasion<ref>http://www.solstation.com/stars/wolf359.htm</ref>.
Discovered in 1918 by German astronomer Max Wolf, whom the star is named after, Wolf 359 is a dim [[red dwarf]] with a [[spectral class]] of M6.5. The star's mass is between 9 and 13 percent of Sol's, and has a diameter of approximately 16 to 19 of Sol's. The luminosity is a mere .002% of our own star, so dim if Wolf 359 replaced our sun, it would appear only 10 times brighter then the moon from our world. Like many [[red dwarf|red dwarfs]], Wolf 359 is a [[flare star]] and can violently flare and brighten on occasion<ref>http://www.solstation.com/stars/wolf359.htm</ref>.
At present there are no known companion bodies orbiting Wolf 359<ref>http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2000AJ....119..906S&db_key=AST&high=38e0b7728707947</ref>. For an Earth like world to have liquid water on it's surface (within the [[habitable zone]]), it would have to be only .0042 Au from it's parent star. Such a world would be tidally locked to Wolf 359 and be repeated exposed to occasional intense radiation from the occasional flares.
At present there are no known companion bodies orbiting Wolf 359<ref>http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2000AJ....119..906S&db_key=AST&high=38e0b7728707947</ref>. For an Earth like world to have liquid water on it's surface (within the [[habitable zone]]), it would have to be only .0042 Au from it's parent star. Such a world would be tidally locked to Wolf 359, and be repeatedly exposed to occasional intense radiation from the occasional flares.
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]