astronomy

Wolf 1061

Wolf 1061 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 Wolf 1061 rather than just read about it. In short: Wolf 1061 (also known as HIP 80824 and V2306 Ophiuchi) is a red dwarf star located about 14.1 light-years (4.3 parsecs) away in the constellation Ophiuchus. It is the 36th-closest-known star system to the Sun and has a relatively high proper motion of 1.2 seconds of arc per year.

Key takeaways

Wolf 1061 belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Wolf 1061 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Wolf 1061 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Wolf 1061 (also known as HIP 80824 and V2306 Ophiuchi) is a red dwarf star located about 14.1 light-years (4.3 parsecs) away in the constellation Ophiuchus. It is the 36th-closest-known star system to the Sun and has a relatively high proper motion of 1.2 seconds of arc per year. Wolf 1061 does not have any unusual spectroscopic features.

The star Wolf 1061 was first cataloged in 1919 by German astronomer Max Wolf when he published a list of dim stars that had high proper motions. Wolf 1061's name originates from this list. A seven years study found no evidence of photometric transits and confirms the radial velocity signals are not due to stellar activity. The habitable zone estimate for the system lies between approximately 0.1 and 0.2 AU from the star.

Planetary system

In December 2015, a team of astronomers from the University of New South Wales announced the discovery of three planets orbiting Wolf 1061. The planets were detected by analyzing 10 years of observations of the Wolf 1061 system by the HARPS spectrograph at La Silla Observatory in Chile. The team used archive radial velocity measurements of the star's spectrum in the HARPS data and, along with 8 years of photometry from the All Sky Automated Survey, discovered two definite planets with orbital periods of around 4.9 and 17.9 days and a very likely third with a period of 67.3 days. All three planets have masses low enough that they are likely to be rocky planets similar to the inner planets of the Solar System although their actual sizes and densities are currently unknown. However, this information could be determined if the planets happen to transit in front of Wolf 1061 when viewed from Earth. Because all three planets orbit close to the star and have short orbital periods, there is a chance that this will occur. The University of New South Wales team estimated the chances of a transit at around 14% for planet b, 6% for planet c, and 3% for planet d. One of the planets, Wolf 1061 c, is a super-Earth located near the inner edge of the star's habitable zone, which conservatively extends from 0.11 to 0.21 AU, or at most from 0.09 to 0.23 AU. It is one of the closest known potentially habitable planets to Earth after Proxima b, Ross 128 b, and Luyten b. The next planet out, Wolf 1061 d, could be marginally habitable depending on its atmosphere's composition as it orbits just beyond the habitable zone. In March 2017, another team of astronomers re-analyzed the system using the HARPS spectrograph. They found planets b and c to be quite similar to their originally reported parameters, but found that planet d was more massive and in a larger, more eccentric orbit. The team was also able to find updated parameters for the host star. Their results showed that Wolf 1061 c is slightly smaller, yet closer to the inner edge of the habitable zone.

See also List of multiplanetary systems List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs

References

External links

"Wolf 1061". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Simulated view of the Wolf 1061 system created by the University of New South Wales

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Wolf 1061

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Wolf 1061 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 Wolf 1061 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 Wolf 1061 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 Wolf 1061

In research: Wolf 1061 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 Wolf 1061 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: Wolf 1061 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics BY Draconis variables, Durchmusterung objects, Gliese and GJ objects, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Wolf 1061 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 Wolf 1061 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Wolf 1061 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 Wolf 1061 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Wolf 1061 in simple terms?

Why does Wolf 1061 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 Wolf 1061?

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 Wolf 1061.