Wolf 424

Wolf 424 (GJ 473 AB / LHS 333 / G 60-14) is a binary star in the constellation Virgo. Visually it is located south of Vindemiatrix (ε Virginis) and north of Minelava (δ Virginis); of apparent magnitude +12.6, it cannot be observed with the naked eye. It is located 14.2 light years away from the solar system. The system was discovered by Max Wolf, a pioneer of astrophotography who discovered hundreds of variable stars.

The main component, Wolf 424 A, is a cool main sequence red dwarf, with a mass of 0.14 solar masses and a radius less than 0.17 solar radii. It is one of the faintest objects—one of the faintest red dwarfs—in the vicinity of the solar system. Its companion, Wolf 424 B, is even smaller. The luminosity of the latter is 8/100,000 times that of the Sun; It is thought that the low luminosity is partly due to the existence of spots on its surface. Wolf 424 B is a very active flare variable designated FL Virginis.

The two components of the Wolf 424 star system move in an orbit whose eccentricity is 0.28, so the separation between the two varies between 2.6 and 4.2 AU. The orbital period of the system is 16.2 years and the orbit is inclined 103° to the ground-based observer. The closest stars to Wolf 424 are Ross 128 and EE Leonis, 4.0 and 7.2 light years away respectively.