Scholz's Star
Location of Scholz's Star in the constellation Monoceros | |
| Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Monoceros |
| Right ascension | 07h 20m 03.254s |
| Declination | −08° 46′ 49.90″ |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 18.3 |
| Characteristics | |
| Red dwarf | |
| Spectral type | M9.5±0.5 |
| Brown dwarf | |
| Spectral type | T5.5±0.5 |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | 82.4±0.3 km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: −40.3±0.2 mas/yr Dec.: −114.8±0.4 mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 147.1±1.2 mas |
| Distance | 22.2 ± 0.2 ly (6.80 ± 0.06 pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | 19.4 |
| Orbit | |
| Primary | Scholz's Star A |
| Companion | Scholz's Star B |
| Period (P) | 8.06+0.24 −0.25 yr |
| Semi-major axis (a) | 0.320±0.003" (2.173+0.028 −0.029 AU) |
| Eccentricity (e) | 0.240+0.009 −0.010 |
| Inclination (i) | 106.9±0.4° |
| Longitude of the node (Ω) | 240.21±0.28° |
| Periastron epoch (T) | 2015/09/16+23 −28 |
| Argument of periastron (ω) (secondary) | 1±5° |
| Details | |
| Red dwarf | |
| Mass | 0.095±0.006 M☉ |
| Radius | 0.992+0.006 −0.007 RJup |
| Age | 3–10 Gyr |
| Brown dwarf | |
| Mass | 0.063±0.004 M☉ |
| Radius | 0.822+0.016 −0.015 RJup |
| Other designations | |
| Scholz's Star, Scholz's star, WISE J072003.20−084651.2, WISE 0720−0846, 2MASS J07200325−0846499, 2MASS 0720−0846 | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
Scholz's Star /ˈʃoʊlz(əz)/ (WISE designation WISE 0720−0846 or fully WISE J072003.20−084651.2) is a dim binary stellar system 22 light-years (6.8 parsecs) from the Sun in the constellation Monoceros near the galactic plane. It was discovered in 2013 by astronomer Ralf-Dieter Scholz. In 2015, Eric Mamajek and collaborators reported that the system passed through the Solar System's Oort cloud roughly 70,000 years ago in a stellar encounter, and dubbed it Scholz's Star.