GQ Muscae

GQ Muscae

A visual band light curve for GQ Muscae. The main plot shows the decline from the 1983 eruption, plotted with data from the AAVSO,[1] Whitelock et al.[2] and Liller.[3] The inset plot (adapted from Narloch et al.[4]) shows the post-eruption variability seen in 1992.
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Musca
Right ascension 11h 52m 02.4285s[5]
Declination −67° 12′ 20.9911″[5]
Apparent magnitude (V) 7.2 Max.
21 Min.[6]
Characteristics
Variable type Nova[6]
Astrometry
Proper motion (μ) RA: −5.056±0.451[5] mas/yr
Dec.: 1.193±0.324[5] mas/yr
Parallax (π)0.4702 ± 0.2193 mas[5]
Distance2480+3780
−300[6] pc
Other designations
AAVSO 1147-66, Nova Mus 1983, Gaia DR2 5236081560713688448[7]
Database references
SIMBADdata

GQ Muscae, also known as Nova Muscae 1983 is a nova in the constellation Musca, which was discovered by William Liller at 03:20 UT on 18 January 1983.[8] At the time of its discovery it was a magnitude ≈7.2 object, and it subsequently faded.[3][9]

GQ Muscae is a binary star system composed of a white dwarf and small star, the donor star, that is about 10% as massive as the Sun. The two orbit each other every 1.4 hours. The white dwarf accumulates material from the donor star until a runaway nuclear thermonuclear reaction erupts, as it did in 1983.[9] GQ Muscae was the first nova from which X-rays were detected.[10]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference aavso was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Whitelock was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference liller90 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Narloch was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference Gaia DR2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Schaefer2018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Simbad was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference IAUC3764 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Izumi was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference duerbeck was invoked but never defined (see the help page).