Astronomy:Kappa Aurigae
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| Observation data Equinox J2000.0]] (ICRS) | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Auriga[1] |
| Right ascension | 06h 15m 22.688s[2] |
| Declination | +29° 29′ 53.08″[2] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 4.335[3] |
| Characteristics | |
| Evolutionary stage | horizontal branch[4] |
| Spectral type | G8.5 IIIb[5] |
| U−B color index | +0.812[3] |
| B−V color index | +1.023[3] |
| R−I color index | 0.54 |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | +20.69±0.15[6] km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: −72.404[2] mas/yr Dec.: −261.101[2] mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 18.2703 ± 0.1609[2] mas |
| Distance | 179 ± 2 ly (54.7 ± 0.5 pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | +0.65[1] |
| Details | |
| Mass | 1.25[7] M☉ |
| Radius | 11[6] R☉ |
| Luminosity | 54[6] L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 2.7[6] cgs |
| Temperature | 4,732[6] K |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | −0.33[6] dex |
| Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 2.5[6] km/s |
| Age | 5.59[7] Gyr |
| Other designations | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
Kappa Aurigae is a star in the northern constellation of Auriga. Its name is a Bayer designation that is Latinised from κ Aurigae, and is abbreviated Kappa Aur or κ Aur. This star is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.3.[3] Based upon an annual parallax shift of 18.27 mas,[2] it is approximately 179 light-years (55 parsecs) distant from Earth. This is a high proper motion star, traversing the celestial sphere at an angular rate of 0.272″ yr−1.[9] It is drifting further away with a radial velocity of +21 km/s.[6]
This is an evolved giant star with a stellar classification of G8.5 IIIb.[5] It is a red clump star, which means it is towards the cool end of the horizontal branch and is generating energy through the fusion of helium at its core.[4] The star is 5.6[7] billion years old and is spinning with a projected rotational velocity of 2.5 km/s.[6] With 1.25 times the mass of the Sun,[7] Kappa Aurigae has expanded to 11 times the radius of the Sun and shines with 54 times the Sun's luminosity. This energy is radiated into outer space from the photosphere at an effective temperature of 4,732 K.[6] At this heat, the star glows with the orange hue of a G-type star.[10]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Anderson, E.; Francis, Ch. (2012). "XHIP: An extended hipparcos compilation". Astronomy Letters 38 (5): 331. doi:10.1134/S1063773712050015. Bibcode: 2012AstL...38..331A. XHIP record for this object at VizieR.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Vallenari, A. et al. (2022). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940 Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Jennens, P. A.; Helfer, H. L. (September 1975), "A new photometric metal abundance and luminosity calibration for field G and K giants", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 172 (3): 667–679, doi:10.1093/mnras/172.3.667, Bibcode: 1975MNRAS.172..667J.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Alves, David R. (August 2000), "K-Band Calibration of the Red Clump Luminosity", The Astrophysical Journal 539 (2): 732–741, doi:10.1086/309278, Bibcode: 2000ApJ...539..732A.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Eggleton, P. P.; Tokovinin, A. A. (September 2008), "A catalogue of multiplicity among bright stellar systems", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 389 (2): 869–879, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13596.x, Bibcode: 2008MNRAS.389..869E.
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 Massarotti, Alessandro et al. (January 2008), "Rotational and Radial Velocities for a Sample of 761 HIPPARCOS Giants and the Role of Binarity", The Astronomical Journal 135 (1): 209–231, doi:10.1088/0004-6256/135/1/209, Bibcode: 2008AJ....135..209M.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Luck, R. Earle (2015), "Abundances in the Local Region. I. G and K Giants", The Astronomical Journal 150 (3): 88, doi:10.1088/0004-6256/150/3/88, Bibcode: 2015AJ....150...88L.
- ↑ "* kap Aur". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=%2A+kap+Aur.
- ↑ Lépine, Sébastien; Shara, Michael M. (March 2005), "A Catalog of Northern Stars with Annual Proper Motions Larger than 0.15" (LSPM-NORTH Catalog)", The Astronomical Journal 129 (3): 1483–1522, doi:10.1086/427854, Bibcode: 2005AJ....129.1483L.
- ↑ "The Colour of Stars", Australia Telescope, Outreach and Education (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), December 21, 2004, http://outreach.atnf.csiro.au/education/senior/astrophysics/photometry_colour.html, retrieved 2012-01-16.
References
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