54 Aurigae

54 Aurigae

A light curve for 54 Aurigae, plotted from TESS data[1]
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Auriga
A
Right ascension 06h 39m 33.12003s[2]
Declination +28° 15′ 47.2764″[2]
Apparent magnitude (V) 6.22[3]
B
Right ascension 06h 39m 33.11965s[2]
Declination +28° 15′ 47.2740″[2]
Apparent magnitude (V) 7.82[3]
Characteristics
Spectral type B7 III[4]
B−V color index −0.087±0.007[5]
Variable type Algol[6]
Astrometry
A
Radial velocity (Rv)+19.0±4.3[5] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −5.461[2] mas/yr
Dec.: −10.523[2] mas/yr
Parallax (π)3.5961 ± 0.0952 mas[2]
Distance910 ± 20 ly
(278 ± 7 pc)
Details
54 Aur A
Luminosity315.49[7] L☉
Temperature11,083[7] K
Rotational velocity (v sin i)65[8] km/s
Other designations
54 Aur, NSV 3065, BD+28°1196, FK5 2504, GC 8681, HD 47395, HIP 31852, HR 2438, SAO 78593, ADS 5289, WDS J06395+2816[9]
Database references
SIMBADdata

54 Aurigae is a multiple star system located around 800 light-years (51,000,000 AU) away from the Sun in the northern constellation of Auriga. It is visible to the naked eye as a dim, blue-white hued star with a combined apparent visual magnitude of 6.02.[5] The system is moving further from the Sun with a heliocentric radial velocity of around +19 km/s.[5]

54 Aurigae is resolved into two visible components, of magnitudes 6.22 and 7.82, separated by 0.8″. The double was discovered in 1843 when the separation was only 0.7″.[10] There is no separate measure of the parallax of the secondary, but it shares a common proper motion with the brighter star[11] and they are assumed to form a binary.[10] The spectral class B7 III is assigned to the brighter of the pair, indicating a hot giant star, although it has also been given as B7/8 III/V, suggesting it may be a main sequence star.[12] Most sources can't give a separate spectral classification for the fainter star, but it has been listed as DA1/K4V, indicating it is either a white dwarf or red dwarf.[13]

The brighter component of the visible pair is an eclipsing binary with a period of 1.8797 days, and a primary eclipse depth of 0.03 magnitudes.[14] It is radiating 315 times the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 11,083 K (10,810 °C; 19,490 °F),[7] and is spinning with a projected rotational velocity of 65 kilometres per second (40 mi/s).[8]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference MAST was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Cite error: The named reference dr3a was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Eggleton2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cucchiaro1977 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference Anderson2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference IVSI was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference McDonald2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Abt2002 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference SIMBAD was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference wds was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference dr2b was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference clausen1979 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference tycho2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference Wraight was invoked but never defined (see the help page).