Luhman 16
Luhman 16 (also designated WISE 1049−5319 or WISE J104915.57−531906.1) is a binary brown-dwarf system in the southern constellation Vela at a distance of approximately 6.5 light-years (2.0 parsecs) from the Sun. These are the closest-known brown dwarfs and the closest system found since the measurement of the proper motion of Barnard's Star in 1916, and the third-closest-known system to the Sun (after the Alpha Centauri system and Barnard's Star). The primary is of spectral type L7.5 and the secondary of type T0.5 ± 1 (and is hence near the L–T transition). The masses of Luhman 16 A and B are 33.5 and 28.6 Jupiter masses, respectively, and their ages are estimated to be 600–800 million years. Luhman 16 A and B orbit each other at a distance of about 3.5 astronomical units with an orbital period of approximately 27 years.
WISE image of Luhman 16. In the GMOS image in the inset, it is resolved into a pair. | |
Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
---|---|
Constellation | Vela |
Right ascension | 10h 49m 18.723s |
Declination | −53° 19′ 09.86″ |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 16.20 |
Characteristics | |
Spectral type | A: L7.5 B: T0.5 ± 1 |
Apparent magnitude (i (DENIS filter system)) | 14.94±0.03 |
Apparent magnitude (J (2MASS filter system)) | 10.73±0.03 |
Apparent magnitude (J (DENIS filter system)) | 10.68±0.05 |
Apparent magnitude (H (2MASS filter system)) | 9.56±0.03 |
Apparent magnitude (KS (2MASS filter system)) | 8.84±0.02 |
Apparent magnitude (KS (DENIS filter system)) | 8.87±0.08 |
Astrometry | |
Proper motion (μ) | RA: −2762.16±2.43 mas/yr Dec.: 357.79±3.44 mas/yr |
Parallax (π) | 501.557 ± 0.082 mas |
Distance | 6.503 ± 0.001 ly (1.9938 ± 0.0003 pc) |
Orbit | |
Period (P) | 27.54+0.39 −0.43 yr |
Semi-major axis (a) | 3.557+0.026 −0.023 AU |
Eccentricity (e) | 0.343±0.005 |
Inclination (i) | 100.26±0.05° |
Longitude of the node (Ω) | 139.67±0.05° |
Periastron epoch (T) | 2017.78±0.05 |
Argument of periastron (ω) (secondary) | 128.1±1.5° |
Details | |
Luhman 16A | |
Mass | 0.032 M☉ |
Mass | 33.5±0.3 MJup |
Radius | ~0.85 RJup |
Luminosity | 0.0000219 L☉ |
Temperature | 1350 K |
Rotation | 6.94 hours |
Luhman 16B | |
Mass | 0.027 M☉ |
Mass | 28.6±0.3 MJup |
Radius | ~1.04 RJup |
Luminosity | 0.0000209 L☉ |
Temperature | 1210 K |
Rotation | 5.28 hours |
Position (relative to A) | |
Component | B |
Angular distance | 1.5″ |
Projected separation | 3 AU |
Other designations | |
Database references | |
SIMBAD | The system |
A | |
B | |
Luhman 16 Location of Luhman 16 in the constellation Vela |