YZ Ceti is a small red dwarf flare star in Cetus with three close-in rocky planets, one of which may stir its magnetic field.
At a glance
| type | red dwarf (class M) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 12.1 light-years (3.71 pc) |
| its light left it | 12.1 years ago |
| luminosity | 0.0016 × the Sun |
| radius | 0.17 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 3,060 K |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About YZ Ceti
YZ Ceti is a red dwarf, much smaller and fainter than the Sun and invisible to the naked eye. It is a flare star, prone to sudden brightenings. It lies in Cetus, not far on the sky from Tau Ceti, though the two stars are unrelated.
It hosts at least three small planets, found from the star’s wobble, all orbiting very close in, so close that they circle it in a few days. Radio astronomers have detected repeated bursts from the star that line up with the orbit of the innermost planet, which suggests the planet is interacting with the star’s magnetic field. If so, the planet would need a magnetic field of its own, something that matters for whether a planet can keep an atmosphere.
What you see in the piece
Fly to it and you find a dim red disc. In HUMAN EYE there is nothing to see in this part of Cetus.
Measured or modelled
The link between the radio bursts and the planet is an interpretation still being tested.
Questions
Does YZ Ceti have planets?
Yes, at least three small, close-in planets. The star is 12.1 light-years (3.71 pc) away.