GJ 1061 is a red dwarf star located 12lk=onNaNlk=on from Earth in the southern constellation of Horologium. Even though it is a relatively nearby star, it has an apparent visual magnitude of about 13, so it can only be seen with at least a moderately-sized telescope.
The proper motion of GJ 1061 has been known since 1974, but it was estimated to be further away: approximately 25ly distant based upon an estimated parallax of 0.130″. The RECONS accurately determined its distance in 1997. At that time, it was the 20th-nearest star system to the Sun. The discovery team noted that many more stars like this are likely to be discovered nearby.
This star is a tiny, dim, red dwarf, close to the lower mass limit. It has an estimated mass of about 12.5% that of the Sun and is only about 0.2% as luminous. The star displays no significant infrared excess due to circumstellar dust.
On August 13, 2019, a planetary system was announced orbiting the star GJ 1061 by the Red Dots project for detecting terrestrial planets around nearby red dwarf stars. The planet GJ 1061 d orbits in the conservative circumstellar habitable zone of its star and the planet GJ 1061 c orbits in the inner edge of the habitable zone. GJ 1061 is a non-variable star that does not suffer flares, so there is a greater probability that the exoplanets still conserve their atmosphere if they had one.[1]
GJ 1061 c is a potentially habitable exoplanet orbiting within the limits of the optimistically defined habitable zone of its red dwarf parent star.[2]
GJ 1061 c is at least 74% more massive than the Earth. The planet receives 35% more stellar flux than Earth and has an equilibrium temperature of 275K.[3] The average temperature on the surface would be warmer, 34C, provided the atmosphere is of similar composition to the Earth's.
GJ 1061 c orbits its parent star very closely, every 6.7 days at a distance of just 0.035 au, so it is probably gravitationally locked and in synchronous rotation with its star.
GJ 1061 d is a potentially habitable exoplanet largely orbiting within the limits of the conservatively defined habitable zone of its parent red dwarf star.[4] [5]
The exoplanet is at least 64% more massive than the Earth. The planet receives about 40% less stellar flux than Earth and has an estimated equilibrium temperature of 218K.[4] The average temperature on the surface would be colder than Earth's and at around 250K, provided the atmosphere is similar to that of Earth.
GJ 1061 d orbits its star every 13 days, and due to its close-in semi-major axis, it is likely that the exoplanet is tidally locked.[6] However, if the planet's orbit is confirmed to be highly eccentric then this eccentricity could be desynchronising it, enabling the existence of non-synchronised states of equilibrium in its rotation, relative to which side of the planet is facing the star, and thereby it will experience a day/night cycle.[7]
Another solution for this planet gives it a slightly shorter period of 12.4 days and a slightly smaller minimum mass of .