Wolf 359

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Wolf 359 is a red dwarf star that is located in the constellation Leo, near the ecliptic. At a distance of approximately 7.8 light years from the Earth, it has an apparent magnitude of 13.5 and can only be seen with a large telescope. Wolf 359 is one of the nearest stars to the solar system; only the Alpha Centauri system, Proxima Centauri, and Barnard's star are known to be closer. Wolf 359 is one of the faintest and lowest-mass stars known. The photosphere of the star has a temperature of about 2,800 K, which is low enough for chemical compounds to form and survive. The absorption lines of compounds such as water and titanium(II) oxide have been observed. The surface has a magnetic field that is stronger than the average magnetic field on the Sun. As a result of magnetic activity, Wolf 359 is a flare star that can undergo sudden increases in luminosity for several minutes. These flares emit strong bursts of X-ray and gamma ray radiation that have been observed by space telescopes.