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How big is Wolf 359?

Wolf 359 is 200,000 kilometers

Introduction

Have you ever wondered about the size of the stars that twinkle in the night sky? They seem so small to us, but in reality, they are gigantic, much larger than our Earth. But not all stars are the same size. Some are much bigger than others, while some are smaller. Today, we’re going to talk about one of these smaller stars, a star called Wolf 359. It’s an interesting star for many reasons, but let’s focus on its size for now.

Size of Wolf 359

Wolf 359 is a red dwarf star. Red dwarfs are the smallest type of stars, but don’t let that fool you. Even though they are the smallest, they’re still much bigger than our planet. In fact, Wolf 359 is about one-fifth the size of our Sun. To give you a better idea of what that means, let’s compare Wolf 359 to some things you might be more familiar with.

  • If the Sun was the size of a basketball, Wolf 359 would be about the size of a golf ball. - If the Earth was the size of a marble, Wolf 359 would be about the size of a beach ball. Even though it’s smaller than many other stars, Wolf 359 is still huge compared to our planet!

More About Wolf 359

Wolf 359 is not only interesting because of its size. It’s also one of the closest stars to our Sun. Only a few stars, like the Alpha Centauri system, Barnard’s Star, and a couple of brown dwarfs are closer. Even though it’s close to us (in astronomical terms, that is), you can’t see Wolf 359 without a large telescope. That’s because it’s a faint star. Its surface temperature is about 2,800 K, which is much cooler than our Sun. This low temperature allows for the formation of chemical compounds like water and titanium(II) oxide. Wolf 359 is also a flare star. This means it can suddenly increase in brightness for a few minutes because of magnetic activity on its surface. These flares can emit strong bursts of X-ray and gamma ray radiation. Despite being smaller and cooler than our Sun, Wolf 359 is still a very active and fascinating star. It’s a young star, less than a billion years old, and scientists think it might have one or two planets orbiting around it.

Conclusion

Wolf 359 may be on the small side when it comes to stars, but it’s still enormous compared to Earth. Its size, coupled with its proximity to us and its fascinating characteristics, make it an interesting object of study. So the next time you look up at the night sky, remember that even the smallest stars have their own unique stories to tell.

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