Pi Cephei

π Cephei
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Cepheus
Right ascension 23h 07m 53.854s[1]
Declination +75° 23′ 15.00″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 4.419[2] 4.61[3] + 6.75[4])
Characteristics
Spectral type G7III[5] / F5V[5] / A7V-A9V[6]
U−B color index -0.46
B−V color index 0.8
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)-18.6 ± 0.9 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: 6.81 ± 1.05[1] mas/yr
Dec.: -34.06 ± 0.88[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)13.8 ± 0.41 mas[6]
Distance236 ± 7 ly
(72 ± 2 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)0.24
Orbit[5]
Primaryπ Cep Aa
Companionπ Cep Ab
Period (P)556.72 ± 0.05 d
Semi-major axis (a)39.0 ± 3.9 mas[6]
Eccentricity (e)0.297 ± 0.006
Inclination (i)99.0 ± 2.5[6]°
Longitude of the node (Ω)109.2 ± 3.5[6]°
Periastron epoch (T)2,439,172.9 ± 1.6
Argument of periastron (ω)
(secondary)		7.6 ± 1.2°
Semi-amplitude (K1)
(primary)		24.18 ± 0.15 km/s
Orbit[7]
Primaryπ Cephei A (Aa + Ab)
Companionπ Cephei B
Period (P)162.8 ± 2.8 yr
Semi-major axis (a)0.810 ± 0.050″
Eccentricity (e)0.5968 ± 0.0067
Inclination (i)30.0 ± 3.0°
Longitude of the node (Ω)90.3 ± 4.9°
Periastron epoch (T)B 1934.573 ± 0.35
Argument of periastron (ω)
(secondary)		90.0 ± 4.4°
Details[6]
π Cep Aa
Mass3.63 ± 0.53 M☉
Surface gravity (log g)3.05±0.11[8] cgs
Temperature5,226±92[8] K
Metallicity [Fe/H]0.29±0.05[8] dex
Age100[8] Myr
π Cep Ab
Mass3.27 ± 0.48 M☉
π Cep B
Mass1.93 ± 0.23 M☉
Other designations
HD 218658, HR 8819, 33 Cephei, BD+74° 1006, SAO 10629, HIP 114222[9]
Database references
SIMBADdata

Pi Cephei (π Cephei) is a trinary star located in the constellation Cepheus.[6] With a combined apparent magnitude of about 4.4,[2] the system is faintly visible to the naked eye. The inner pair of stars orbits in 1.5 years while the outer companion completes one orbit in about 160 years.[6]

Pi Cephei was found to have a visual companion star by Otto Wilhelm von Struve in 1843.[6] That the primary is itself a spectroscopic binary was first noticed by William Wallace Campbell in 1901 using photographic plates taken at Lick Observatory.[10]

  1. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference van Leeuwen2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Hauck1998 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference tycho2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference tycho was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Scarfe1983 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Cite error: The named reference Gatewood2001 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Sixth Catalog of Orbits of Visual Binary Stars". United States Naval Observatory. Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
  8. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference feuillat 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. ^ Cite error: The named reference Campbell1901 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).