Groombridge 34

Groombridge 34 is a binary star system located in the northern constellation of Andromeda. It was cataloged as entry number 34 in A Catalogue of Circumpolar Stars, published in 1838 by British astronomer Stephen Groombridge. This star system is one of the nearest stars to our Solar System, lying about 11.6 light-years (3.6 parsecs) from the Sun.

The system consists of two small, dim red dwarf stars that are too faint to see without a telescope. These stars orbit each other in a path that takes around 1,065 years to complete. Both stars sometimes brighten and dim suddenly due to flares, and they have special names to describe these changes: the brighter star is called GX And, and the smaller one is called GQ And.

Groombridge 34 moves quickly across the sky, traveling at a rate of 2.9 arc seconds each year. About 15,000 years ago, it came closest to our Sun, passing within 11 light-years before moving away again.

GX Andromedae

The brighter star in the Groombridge 34 system is called GX Andromedae. It is a red dwarf star, which means it is smaller and cooler than our Sun. This star sometimes gets brighter and dimmer because of sudden bursts of energy called stellar flares. Scientists have found that it takes about 44 days for this star to spin once and that its magnetic activity changes in a cycle of about 9 years.

GQ Andromedae

The smaller companion star in the Groombridge 34 system is named GQ Andromedae. It is a red dwarf star, meaning it is smaller and cooler than our Sun. Like the main star, it can sometimes flare up in brightness. This star is classified as having a spectral type of M4.1, which tells us about its temperature and color.

Planetary system

In August 2014, scientists found a planet orbiting one of the stars in the Groombridge 34 system. They discovered it by watching how the star's movement changed over time.

Later studies suggested there might be another planet as well. With more observations, both planets were confirmed. One orbits its star every 11.4 days, and the other takes about 7,600 days. This makes Groombridge 34 one of the closest star systems with more than one planet.

Main article: Exoplanet