Gliese 526

Gliese 526, also known as GJ 526, Lalande 25372, or Wolf 498, is a red dwarf star located in the northern constellation of Boötes. With an apparent visual magnitude of 8.5, it is too dim to be seen without a telescope. This star is quite close to our solar system, lying about 17.7 light-years from Earth, as determined by measurements from the Hipparcos satellite. Red dwarfs like Gliese 526 are the most common type of star in the Milky Way galaxy, and they burn more slowly and steadily than larger stars. Studying stars such as Gliese 526 helps astronomers understand the structure and evolution of stars and the galaxies they inhabit.

History of observations

This star has been known since 1801, when it was added to a list of stars by Lalande. Later, in 1847, it received the number 25372 and was sometimes called Lalande 25372.

By 1911, scientists had measured how fast this star moves across the sky and its distance from Earth. In 1919, a German astronomer named Max Wolf included it in a special list of stars that move quickly, giving it the number 498.

Properties

GJ 526 is a flare star, meaning its brightness sometimes suddenly increases. It is a red dwarf, which is a smaller type of star. GJ 526 is smaller than our Sun, having only about half the mass and radius, and it is much dimmer, shining with just a small fraction of the Sun's light.

Scientists looked for extra infrared light around GJ 526, which could show if there is a ring of dust or rocks orbiting the star, called a debris disk. However, no extra light was found, so it seems GJ 526 does not have such a disk.