Astronomy:Lambda Cephei

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Short description: Star in the constellation Cepheus
λ Cephei
Location of λ Cep (circled)
Observation data
Equinox J2000.0]] (ICRS)
Constellation Cepheus
Right ascension  22h 11m 30.577s[1]
Declination +59° 24′ 52.154″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) +5.050[2]
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage Blue supergiant
Spectral type O6.5If(n)p[3]
U−B color index −0.622[2]
B−V color index +0.237[2]
Variable type Suspected
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−75.10[4] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −7.020[1] mas/yr
Dec.: −10.812[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)1.1761 ± 0.0818[1] mas
Distance2,800 ± 200 ly
(850 ± 60 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)−6.43+0.11
−0.12
[2]
Details[2]
Mass51.4+15.2
−12.0
 M
Radius18[5] – 21[6] R
Luminosity630,000 L
Surface gravity (log g)3.54 cgs
Temperature36,000 K
Rotational velocity (v sin i)210 km/s
Age4.0±0.2 Myr
Other designations
Lambda Cephei, 22 Cephei, NSV 14069, BD+58 2402, GC 31066, HD 210839, HIP 109556, HR 8469, SAO 34149, GSC 03981-01585[7]
Database references
SIMBADdata

Lambda Cephei is a blue supergiant star in the northern constellation of Cepheus. Its name is a Bayer designation that is Latinized from λ Cephei, and is abbreviated Lambda Cep or λ Cep. This star is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of +5.050.[2] Based on parallax measurements, it is located at a distance of approximately 2,800 light years.[1] It is one of the hottest and most luminous stars visible to the naked eye.

Characteristics

It is a hot O6.5 supergiant star, with an absolute brightness around half a million times that of the Sun and a radius around 20 times as big, and with a mass that has been estimated to be between 45 and 60 solar masses.

Lambda Cephei turns around its axis in less than three days compared to the 24.47 days that the Sun needs to complete a full rotation and seems to be single, with no companions. Its ultimate fate is to explode as a supernova. Due to its very large initial mass, it will most likely leave behind a black hole.[citation needed]

Lambda Cephei is a runaway star that seems to have been expelled of the stellar association Cepheus OB3, that lies at 2,800 light-years, roughly 2.5 million years ago. Its motion through the interstellar medium is producing a shockwave in front of the gases that surround it and in the direction towards it moves.[8]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 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.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Bouret, J.-C. et al. (2012). "Properties of Galactic early-type O-supergiants. A combined FUV-UV and optical analysis". Astronomy & Astrophysics 544: A67. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201118594. Bibcode2012A&A...544A..67B. 
  3. Sota, A. et al. (2011). "The Galactic O-Star Spectroscopic Survey. I. Classification System and Bright Northern Stars in the Blue-Violet at R ~ 2500". The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 193 (2): 24. doi:10.1088/0067-0049/193/2/24. ISSN 0067-0049. Bibcode2011ApJS..193...24S. 
  4. Gontcharov, G. A. (2006). "Pulkovo Compilation of Radial Velocities for 35 495 Hipparcos stars in a common system". Astronomy Letters 32 (11): 759–771. doi:10.1134/S1063773706110065. ISSN 1063-7737. Bibcode2006AstL...32..759G. 
  5. Bianchi, L.; Garcia, M. (2002). "The Effective Temperatures of Mid-O Stars". The Astrophysical Journal 581 (1): 610–625. doi:10.1086/343042. Bibcode2002ApJ...581..610B. 
  6. Repolust, T. et al. (2004). "Stellar and wind parameters of Galactic O-stars. The influence of line-blocking/blanketing". Astronomy and Astrophysics 415 (1): 349–376. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20034594. Bibcode2004A&A...415..349R. 
  7. "lam Cep". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=lam+Cep. 
  8. Gvaramadze, V. V.; Gualandris, A. (2011). "Very massive runaway stars from three-body encounters". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 410 (1): 304–312. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17446.x. Bibcode2011MNRAS.410..304G.