The Story of Wolf 359: A little red sun in Leo was once the least luminous star known.

The article provides information about the discovery and characteristics of Wolf 359, a red dwarf star in the Leo constellation. Discovered by Max Wolf in 1918, it was found to emit less light than any other known star at the time. Although its large proper motion suggests it may be close to our solar system, its dimness indicates it could be far away, similar to another star called Groombridge 1830. The distance to Wolf 359 was measured in the 1920s, and Adriaan van Maanen used the 100-inch Hooker Telescope to determine its proximity to Earth. Despite being close, Wolf 359 appears faint due to its low luminosity. It is classified as a red dwarf, the most common type of star, and emits very little light compared to others. The article also mentions other dim stars, such as Van Biesbroeck's Star, that have been discovered since Wolf 359. The Sun and Wolf 359 have different trajectories within the Milky Way, and in the future, Wolf 359 may be much farther away from Earth. [Extracted from the article]