Van Maanen 2

Van Maanen 2

Van Maanen's star (bright star in the middle)
Credit: SDSS
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation Pisces
Pronunciation /vænˈmʌnənz/)
Right ascension 00h 49m 09.89834s
Declination +05° 23 18.9938
Apparent magnitude (V) 12.374
Characteristics
Spectral type DZ8
U−B color index 0.064
B−V color index 0.546
V−R color index 0.268
R−I color index 0.4
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−12±7 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: +1,231.399 mas/yr
Dec.: −2,711.883 mas/yr
Parallax (π)231.7800±0.0183 mas
Distance14.072 ± 0.001 ly
(4.3144 ± 0.0003 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)14.21±0.03
Details
Mass0.67±0.02 M
Radius0.01129 ± 0.00066 R
Luminosity1.622+0.156
−0.143
×10−4
 L
Surface gravity (log g)8.16±0.03 cgs
Temperature6,130±110 K
Age4.1±1.0, >3.45±0.36 Gyr
Other designations
van Maanen's Star, van Maanen 2, vMa2, BD+18°2165, GJ 35, HIP 3829, G 001-027, LFT 76, LHS 7, LTT 10292, WD 0046+051, Wolf 28
Database references
SIMBADdata
van Maanen's Star
Location of van Maanen's Star in the constellation Pisces

Van Maanen 2, or van Maanen's Star, is the closest known solitary white dwarf to the Solar System. It is a dense, compact stellar remnant no longer generating energy and has equivalent to about 68% of the Sun's mass but only 1% of its radius. At a distance of 14.1 light-years it is the third closest of its type of star after Sirius B and Procyon B, in that order. Discovered in 1917 by Dutch–American astronomer Adriaan van Maanen, Van Maanen 2 was the third white dwarf identified, after 40 Eridani B and Sirius B, and the first solitary example.