Wolf 1061

Wolf 1061 is a small, cool star known as a red dwarf. It is about 14.1 light-years from us in the constellation Ophiuchus. This star is one of the closest stars to our Sun. It is the 36th-closest-known star system.

Red dwarfs like Wolf 1061 are the most common stars in the universe. They are smaller and cooler than our Sun, but they shine steadily for a very long time. Wolf 1061 moves quickly across the sky, with a proper motion of 1.2 seconds of arc per year.

Scientists study stars like Wolf 1061 to learn more about the universe and how stars form and change. Even though it is far away, its closeness to Earth makes it important for astronomers.

The star

Wolf 1061 was first found in 1919 by German astronomer Max Wolf. It is named after the list he made of dim stars that move quickly across the sky. Research shows that this star does not behave in a way that would stop planets from forming around it.

The area where planets could have liquid water, called the habitable zone, is very close to the star, between about 0.1 and 0.2 AU.

Planetary system

In December 2015, astronomers from the University of New South Wales found three planets around Wolf 1061. They used data from the HARPS spectrograph at the La Silla Observatory in Chile and from the All Sky Automated Survey. The planets orbit the star very quickly, taking about 5, 18, and 67 days.

These planets are likely made of rock, like some planets close to our Sun. One planet, Wolf 1061c, is in an area where liquid water might exist, so it could possibly support life. Another planet, Wolf 1061 d, might also be in a place where life could exist, depending on its atmosphere.