Van Maanen 2
Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
---|---|
Constellation | Pisces |
Right ascension | 00h 49m 09.9s |
Declination | +05° 23' 19" |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 12.4 |
Characteristics | |
Spectral type | WDZ7 |
U−B color index | 0.02[1] |
B−V color index | 0.56[1] |
Variable type | None |
Astrometry | |
Radial velocity (Rv) | +6±15[1] km/s |
Proper motion (μ) | RA: 1233.05 mas/yr Dec.: -2710.56 mas/yr |
Parallax (π) | 231.88 ± 1.79 mas |
Distance | 14.1 ± 0.1 ly (4.31 ± 0.03 pc) |
Absolute magnitude (MV) | 14.2 |
Other designations | |
Data sources: | |
NStars |
Van Maanen's Star is a white dwarf star. Out of the white dwarfs known, it is the third closest to the Sun; the closest is Sirius B and the second closest is Procyon B.[2] It is also the closest solitary white dwarf to the Sun known.[2] It is located 14.1 light years from the Sun in the constellation Pisces, and has a relatively high proper motion of 2.98" annually. It is far too faint to be seen with the naked eye. Its mass has been estimated to be about 70% of the Sun's, and its diameter has been estimated to be about 1% of the Sun's.[1] It is under 2/10,000 times as luminous as the Sun.[3]
Van Maanen's star was discovered in 1917 by Adriaan van Maanen.[4] It was the third white dwarf discovered, after 40 Eridani B and Sirius B.[5], p. 2
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Astrometric determination of the gravitational redshift of van Maanen 2 (EG 5), George Gatewood and Jane Russell, Astronomical Journal 79, #7 (July 1974), pp. 815–818.
- ^ a b The One Hundred Nearest Star Systems, RECONS, April 11, 2007; accessed online May 7, 2007.
- ^ Van Maanen's Star, solstation.com, accessed on line May 7, 2007.
- ^ Two Faint Stars with Large Proper Motion, A. van Maanen, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 29 (#172), December 1917, pp. 258–259.
- ^ White Dwarfs, E. Schatzman, Amsterdam: North-Holland, 1958.