Gliese 536

A small and faint star belonging to the Red Dwarf classification, a very common type of star but one with such low luminosity that even those that are close to the Solar System are difficult to detect. Gliese 536 is no exception: it is a variable star, but at its brightest it barely exceeds tenth magnitude (far too faint to see with the naked eye) despite the fact that it is no more than 34 light years from Earth - a near neighbour in Galactic terms.

This star falls within the eastern part of the constellation Virgo. Its nearest prominent star in the sky is Syrma (or Iota Virginis) which shines far more brightly than Gliese 536, despite being more than twice its distance from the Solar System.