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Gliese 251
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Star Gliese 251

Red dwarf Gliese 251 is located 18 light years away from the Sun. It is a single star of spectral class M3 Ve, that has 35 % of solar mass. There are multiple known exoplanets in this system.
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Sun distance
18 light years
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Gliese 251

Red dwarf, High proper motion star
Spectral class: M3 Ve

Location +

Ascension iconRight ascension: 6h 54m 48.039s
Declination iconDeclination: 33° 15' 59.069'' (northern hemisphere)
Parallax iconParallax: 179.063
Distance iconSun distance: 18.215 ly | 5.6 pc
Star position
The position of a star tells us where it appears in the sky, similar to how we use coordinates like latitude and longitude on Earth. In astronomy, the three main coordinates are right ascension, declination and distance. .. icon More about Star position in StellarGuide

Basic characteristic

icon weight
Mass: 35 % M Sun
| 367 M Jupiter
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Star mass
Mass of the star Gliese 251 is 0.35 solar masses.

The mass of a star is the total amount of matter it contains. It is one of the most important properties of a star, as it determines almost everything about how the star lives, changes, and dies. In astronomy, star mass is usually measured in solar masses (M☉) — where 1 solar mass is equal to the mass of our Sun... icon More about Star mass in StellarGuide
radius icon
Size: 37 % R Sun
| 3.6 R Jupiter
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Star size
Radius of the star Gliese 251 is 0.365 solar radii.

The size of a star refers to its radius — the distance from its center to its surface. Star size is usually measured in solar radii (R☉), where 1 solar radius equals approximately 696,000 kilometers. Depending on their type and life stage, stars can be much smaller or larger than the Sun... icon More about Star size in StellarGuide
temperature icon
Temperature: 3420 K | 0.59 T Sun
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Star temperature
Surface temperature of Gliese 251 is 3420 K, which is 59 % of the temperature on the surface of the Sun.

The temperature of a star refers to the temperature at its surface, also called the photosphere. It is measured in kelvins (K), the standard unit for temperature in astronomy. A star’s temperature tells us a lot about its physical properties and where it stands in its evolutionary stage... icon More about Star temperature in StellarGuide
time icon
Age: 4.6 billions years | 1 Sun
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Star age
Star Gliese 251 is 4.6 billion years old, which is about 1 of the Sun's age.

The age of a star tells us how long it has been shining since it formed. Knowing a star’s age helps astronomers understand its life stage, how it has changed over time, and what will happen to it in the future... icon More about Star age in StellarGuide
luminosity icon
Luminosity: 0.0155 L Sun
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Star luminosity
Luminosity is the total amount of energy a star gives off every second. Think of it as the star’s true brightness — not just how bright it looks from Earth. This is important because some stars may appear dim simply because they are far away, not because they’re actually faint... icon More about Star luminosity in StellarGuide

Photometry

Magnitude iconApparent magnitude (V): 9.9
Magnitude iconAbsolute magnitude (V): 11.2
Absolute stellar magnitude in different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum from infrared (K band) to ultraviolet (U band).
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
K
2.1
H
1.6
J
1.2
Grp
0.8
I
0.8
G
0.6
V
0.5
Gbp
0.5
B
0.4
U
0.3
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Gliese 251 system structure

 Gliese 251
Gliese 251 b 0.08 AU 3.9 M⊕ 14.2 days
Gliese 251 c 0.2 AU 3.9 M⊕ 53.6 days

More about Gliese 251

Nearby star Gliese 251 is a main sequence star that fuses hydrogen atoms into helium. It is approximately 40 % of the size of Sun and temperature on its surface is around 3420 K (3147 °C), which is about 59 % of Sun's temperature.
       Gliese 251 can be found in northern celestial hemisphere, you cannot see it with naked eye, but you can observe this star with basic telescope. The star is easily observable from Northern America, Europe and Asia.
Other designations of this star
LHS 1879, Ross 578, Wolf 294, HD 265866, HIP 33226, LHS 1879, LTT 11941, GJ 251, Gaia EDR3 939072613334579328
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External sources
icon study
icon study
simbad icon
Simbad database (HD 265866)
Astronomical database SIMBAD (the Set of Identifications, Measurements and Bibliography for Astronomical Data)
gaia icon
Gaia database (Gaia EDR3 939072613334579328)
Archive from the Gaia mission

Frequently Asked Questions

How far is the Gliese 251 system from the Sun?

The Gliese 251 system is 18 light years or 5.6 parsecs from the Sun.

What galaxy is the Gliese 251 star in?

The Gliese 251 is in the Milky Way galaxy just like the Sun.

How many stars are in the Gliese 251 system?

The Gliese 251 is a single star, there are no other known stars in the system.

What type of star is the Gliese 251?

The star Gliese 251 is a Red dwarf star.

What temperature is star Gliese 251?

The star Gliese 251 has an effective temperature of 3420 K. Find out more about the temperature of stars in Stellar guide
Class of stars Red dwarf
Red dwarfs are small, cool stars with surface temperatures of about 2,000–3,800 K, much cooler than the Sun. They usually have 8–50% of the Sun’s mass and shine very faintly, sometimes at just a tiny fraction of the Sun’s brightness. Classified mainly as spectral type M, they are the most common stars in the Milky Way, making up roughly 70–75% of its stellar population.

They fuse hydrogen slowly through the proton–proton chain and are fully convective, which allows them to use their fuel very efficiently. As a result, red dwarfs can live for tens of billions to trillions of years—far longer than the Sun. Many exoplanets orbit red dwarfs, including some in close habitable zones, though strong stellar activity can affect planetary environments.
Closest stars

 QY Aurigae
 0.23 M☉ 2.5 ly

Gaia EDR3 3426333598021539840
 - 7.3 ly

WISE 0607+2429
 0.05 M☉ 7.5 ly

DX Cancri
 0.09 M☉ 8.5 ly

Ross 47
 0.35 M☉ 8.6 ly
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