astronomy

WISE 0350−5658

WISE 0350−5658 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 WISE 0350−5658 rather than just read about it. In short: WISE J035000.32−565830.2 (designation abbreviated to WISE 0350−5658) is a (sub-)brown dwarf of spectral class Y1, located in constellation Reticulum, the nearest known star/brown dwarf in this constellation. Being approximately 18.5 light-years from Earth, it is one of the Sun's nearest neighbors.

Key takeaways

WISE 0350−5658 belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect WISE 0350−5658 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of WISE 0350−5658 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

WISE J035000.32−565830.2 (designation abbreviated to WISE 0350−5658) is a (sub-)brown dwarf of spectral class Y1, located in constellation Reticulum, the nearest known star/brown dwarf in this constellation. Being approximately 18.5 light-years from Earth, it is one of the Sun's nearest neighbors.

Discovery

WISE 0350−5658 was discovered in 2012 by J. Davy Kirkpatrick and colleagues from data collected by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) in the infrared at a wavelength of 40 cm (16 in), whose mission lasted from December 2009 to February 2011. In 2012, Kirkpatrick et al. published a paper in The Astrophysical Journal, where they presented the discovery of seven new brown dwarfs of spectral type Y that had been found by WISE, among which was WISE 0350−5658.

Distance WISE 0350−5658 is one of the nearest known brown dwarfs: its trigonometric parallax is 0.184 ± 0.010 arcsecond, corresponding to a direct distance of 5.4 pc (17.7 ly).

Physical properties WISE 0350−5658 was observed together with WISEP J1738+2732 with the Gemini Observatory. The researchers found that non-equilibrium chemistry models reproduce the spectra of these two brown dwarfs better than equilibrium models. The researchers also found an effective temperature of 350±25 K and surface gravity of log g=4.0±0.25 for WISE 0350−5658. A mass of 7−9 MJ was estimated in this work. Later work using the Spitzer Space Telescope and J-band photometry found that WISE 0350−5658 has a low tangential velocity, could be metal-rich and also found a similar mass of 3−8 MJ. These properties could be an indicator that it is a young Y-dwarf, and might be a rogue planet. Another work using Hubble found a slightly higher mass of 7−13 MJ.

See also List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs List of Y-dwarfs The other six discoveries of brown dwarfs, published in Kirkpatrick et al. (2012):

WISE 0146+4234 (Y0) WISE 0359−5401 (Y0) WISE 0535−7500 (≥Y1) WISE 0713−2917 (Y0) WISE 0734−7157 (Y0) WISE 2220−3628 (Y0)

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with WISE 0350−5658

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what WISE 0350−5658 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 WISE 0350−5658 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 WISE 0350−5658 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 WISE 0350−5658

In research: WISE 0350−5658 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 WISE 0350−5658 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: WISE 0350−5658 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 2012, Local Bubble, Reticulum, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for WISE 0350−5658 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 “WISE 0350−5658” →

Affiliate

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

How to study WISE 0350−5658 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what WISE 0350−5658 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 WISE 0350−5658 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is WISE 0350−5658 in simple terms?

Why does WISE 0350−5658 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 WISE 0350−5658?

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 WISE 0350−5658.