astronomy

Gliese 48

Gliese 48 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 Gliese 48 rather than just read about it. In short: Gliese 48 (also known as Ross 318) is a red dwarf star located in the constellation Cassiopeia. Visually, it is located between 31 Cassiopeiae and 23 Cassiopeiae.

Key takeaways

Gliese 48 belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Gliese 48 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Gliese 48 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Gliese 48 (also known as Ross 318) is a red dwarf star located in the constellation Cassiopeia. Visually, it is located between 31 Cassiopeiae and 23 Cassiopeiae. Due to its apparent magnitude, it is not visible to the naked eye.

Physical characteristics Gliese 48 is a red dwarf of spectral type M3.5V. Much dimmer than the Sun, its luminosity is approximately 2.7% of the solar luminosity. It has a mass of approximately 0.47 solar masses and a radius of approximately 0.46 solar radii. Its effective temperature is estimated at 3450 K. The star shows metallic content consistent with solar levels and may exhibit flare activity.

Planetary system The star hosts the planet Gliese 48 b, a super-Earth discovered through a combined analysis of radial velocity data (CARMENES and HIRES) and TESS photometry. The planet orbits the star in approximately 39.6 days and lies within the optimistic habitable zone of the system.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Gliese 48

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Gliese 48 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 Gliese 48 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 Gliese 48 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 Gliese 48

In research: Gliese 48 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 Gliese 48 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: Gliese 48 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Cassiopeia (constellation), Gliese and GJ objects, M-type main-sequence stars, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Gliese 48 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.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Gliese 48” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Gliese 48 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Gliese 48 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 Gliese 48 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Gliese 48 in simple terms?

Gliese 48 (also known as Ross 318) is a red dwarf star located in the constellation Cassiopeia. Visually, it is located between 31 Cassiopeiae and 23 Cassiopeiae.

Why does Gliese 48 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 Gliese 48?

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 Gliese 48.