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Luyten 726-8 (UV Ceti)
One of the nearest star systems to the Sun at a distance of 8.73 light-years (see stars, nearest); it lies in the constellation Cetus, northeast of Deneb Kaitos (Beta Ceti). Luyten 726-8 is a binary in which both components are red dwarfs in a highly elliptical orbit of period 26.5 years that takes the two stars between 2.1 and 8.8 AU apart. Component B is an extreme example of a flare star that can surge in brightness by a factor of five in less than a minute, then fall somewhat slower back down to normal luminosity within two or three minutes before flaring suddenly again after several hours. In 1952, Luyten 726-8 B, better known by its variable-star name UV Ceti, was observed flaring to 75 times its normal brightness in only 20 seconds. It is the prototype of the class known as UV Ceti stars.
| Type | Mass (Sun=1) | Luminosity (Sun=1) | Radius (Sun=1) | |
| A | M5.5eV | 0.10 | 0.15 | 0.000011 |
| B | M6eV | 0.10 | 0.14 | 0.000004 |
Related entry
• nearest stars
Related category
• NOTABLE STARS
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