What is Wolf 359?
Q: What is Wolf 359?
A: Wolf 359 is a red dwarf in the constellation Leo first measured in 1919 by Max Wolf. It is about 7.8 light years from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 13.5, making it visible only with a large telescope.
Q: How close is Wolf 359 to the Solar System?
A: Wolf 359 is one of the nearest stars to the Solar System, with only Alpha Centauri system (including Proxima Centauri), Barnard's Star, and WISE 1049-5319 being closer.
Q: What kind of star is Wolf 359?
A: Wolf 359 is one of the faintest and lowest-mass stars known, with a temperature at its photosphere of about 2,800 K low enough for chemical compounds to form and survive. It also has a strong magnetic field which causes it to be a flare star that emits strong bursts of X-ray and gamma ray radiation when flaring up suddenly in luminosity for several minutes.
Q: How old is Wolf 359?
A:Wolf 359 is relatively young, estimated to be less than a billion years old.
Q: Are there any companions or disks detected around Wolf 359?
A: No companions or disks have been detected in orbit around it yet.
Q: Is there evidence of chemical compounds on the surface of Wolf 359?
A: Yes, absorption lines from compounds such as water and titanium(II) oxide are present in its spectrum indicating their presence on its surface.
