Mu Aurigae

Mu Aurigae
Location of μ Aurigae (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation Auriga
Right ascension 05h 13m 25.71733s[1]
Declination +38° 29′ 04.1879″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) +4.88[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type A4 Vm[3][4] (kA3hA8VmA8[5])
U−B color index +0.10[2]
B−V color index +0.18[2]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)+26.0±1.2[6] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −19.545[7] mas/yr
Dec.: −72.456[7] mas/yr
Parallax (π)20.7218 ± 0.4971 mas[7]
Distance157 ± 4 ly
(48 ± 1 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)+1.47[8]
Details
Mass2.09[9] M☉
Radius3.15[7] R☉
Luminosity22.95[7] L☉
Surface gravity (log g)3.4[10] cgs
Temperature7,500[10] K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.3[10] dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)80.0[10] km/s
Age560[9] Myr
Other designations
μ Aur, 11 Aurigae, BD+38°1063, FK5 192, HD 33641, HIP 24340, HR 1689, SAO 57755, WDS J05134+3829AB[11]
Database references
SIMBADdata

Mu Aurigae, Latinized as μ Aurigae, is the Bayer designation for an unconfirmed binary star[12] in the northern constellation of Auriga. It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of +4.88.[2] Based upon an annual parallax shift of 20.7218±0.4971 mas as seen from Earth,[7] is located 157 light-years from the Sun.

This is an A-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of A4 Vm;[4] the 'm' suffix indicating that abnormal abundances of heavier elements appear in the star's spectrum, making this an Am star. It is 560[9] million years old with a projected rotational velocity of 80 km/s.[10] It has double[9] the mass of the Sun and is radiating 23[7] times the Sun's luminosity at an effective temperature of 7,500 K.[10]

A very close companion has been reported using speckle interferometry,[12] but this remains unconfirmed. The separation at discovery in 1986 was 0.07 mas and it was measured at 0.066 mas in 1999. It was catalogued by Hipparcos as a problem binary, indicating that the measurements of its position were not consistent with the motion of a single star, but no satisfactory orbit could be found to match the motion[12]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference vanLeeuwen2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference Johnson1966 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Royer2002 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Eggleton2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference abt1995 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference deBruijne2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Cite error: The named reference dr2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Anderson2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference DeRosa2014 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference gebran2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference SIMBAD was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Mason1999 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).