TZ Arietis is a small red dwarf flare star in Aries, too faint for the naked eye, around which a giant planet has been reported.
At a glance
| type | red dwarf (class M) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 14.6 light-years (4.47 pc) |
| its light left it | 14.6 years ago |
| luminosity | 0.0018 × the Sun |
| radius | 0.21 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 3,100 K |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About TZ Arietis
TZ Arietis is a red dwarf with a small fraction of the Sun’s mass, far too faint for the naked eye. Its name is a variable-star designation, given because it flares, brightening suddenly when its magnetic field releases energy, as many small red dwarfs do.
Measurements of its wobble suggest a giant planet on a long, elongated orbit. Giant planets are thought to be rare around stars this small, because their discs hold little material, which makes such a find interesting for theories of how planets form.
What you see in the piece
Fly to it and you find a dim red disc. In HUMAN EYE nothing shows in this part of Aries.
Measured or modelled
The giant planet is reported from radial-velocity data and may be refined or revised.
Questions
How far away is TZ Arietis?
TZ Arietis is 14.6 light-years (4.47 pc) from the Sun.