astronomy

GJ 3379

GJ 3379 is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand GJ 3379 rather than just read about it. In short: GJ 3379 (Giclas 99-49) is the nearest star in the Orion constellation, located at a distance of 17 light years from the Sun based on parallax. It is a single star with an apparent visual magnitude of +11.31 and an absolute magnitude of +12.71, therefore, the star is not visible with the naked eye.

Key takeaways

GJ 3379 belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect GJ 3379 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of GJ 3379 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

GJ 3379 (Giclas 99-49) is the nearest star in the Orion constellation, located at a distance of 17 light years from the Sun based on parallax. It is a single star with an apparent visual magnitude of +11.31 and an absolute magnitude of +12.71, therefore, the star is not visible with the naked eye. It is positioned in the upper left part of the Orion constellation, to the SSE of Betelgeuse. This star is drifting further away with a radial velocity of +30.0 kilometers per second. In the past, this star had a relatively close encounter with the Solar System. Some 161,000±6,000 years ago, it achieved a minimum distance of 4.08 ± 0.20 ly (1.25 ± 0.06 pc).

Physical characteristics This star is a small red dwarf with a stellar classification of M3.5V – an M-type main-sequence star. It is much smaller, cooler, and less massive than the Sun, radiating only 0.6% of the Sun's luminosity. This is a very active star that varies in brightness with an amplitude of 0.0074±0.0029 magnitude, modulated by a rapid rotation period of 1.8 days. The magnetic field strength has been measured as 2.3 kG. It is a source of X-ray emission with a luminosity of 9.5×1027 erg s−1. According to the SIMBAD database, the star is classified as an eruptive variable.

References

External links "The 100 nearest star systems". Research Consortium On Nearby Stars. Retrieved 2020-12-26.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with GJ 3379

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what GJ 3379 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to GJ 3379 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about GJ 3379 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of GJ 3379

In research: GJ 3379 appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses GJ 3379 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: GJ 3379 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Gliese and GJ objects, M-type main-sequence stars, Orion (constellation), so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for GJ 3379 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study GJ 3379 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what GJ 3379 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain GJ 3379 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is GJ 3379 in simple terms?

Why does GJ 3379 matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study GJ 3379?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on GJ 3379.