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van Maanen’s Star

van Maanen 2, Wolf 28, Gliese 35

Proper Namevan Maanen's Star
Bayer DesignationNone
Flamsteed NumberNone
HR (BSC)None
HDNone
Other Designationsvan Maanen 2, Wolf 28, Gliese 35
ConstellationPisces
Right Ascension0h 49m 10s
Declination+5° 23' 19"
Distance14.1 light years
4.3 parsecs
MagnitudeApparent: +12.36
Absolute: +14.19
Spectral ClassDZ17.5 white dwarf star
Planets in this systemNone known (a possible companion object has been suggested, but remains unconfirmed, and further studies suggest that its existence is unlikely)
Optimum VisibilityOctober
NotesThe remnant core of a long-expired red giant, van Maanen's Star was discovered by Adrian van Maanen in 1917, and at that time was only the third white dwarf to have been identified. It is an extraordinarily dense object, with an estimated two-thirds of the mass of the Sun compacted into a region only slightly larger than the Earth.

Imagery provided by Aladin sky atlas

van Maanen's Star is a near neighbour of the Sun: it lies just fourteen light years away. After Sirius B and Procyon B, it is the nearest white dwarf to the Solar System, and is the closest known solitary example.

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