Loading AI tools
Star in the constellation Auriga From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
GD 66 or V361 Aurigae is a 0.64 solar mass (M☉)[4] pulsating white dwarf star located 170 light years from Earth[3] in the Auriga constellation. The estimated cooling age of the white dwarf is 500 million years.[4] Models of the relationship between the initial mass of a star and its final mass as a white dwarf star suggest that when the star was on the main sequence it had a mass of approximately 2.5 M☉, which implies its lifetime was around 830 million years.[4] The total age of the star is thus estimated to be in the range 1.2 to 1.7 billion years.[4]
Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
---|---|
Constellation | Auriga |
Right ascension | 05h 20m 38.31s[2] |
Declination | +30° 48′ 24.1″[2] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 15.56[2] |
Characteristics | |
Spectral type | DA[2] |
U−B color index | -0.59[citation needed] |
B−V color index | 0.22[2] |
Variable type | Pulsating white dwarf |
Astrometry | |
Proper motion (μ) | RA: 54[2] mas/yr Dec.: −120[2] mas/yr |
Distance | 170[3] ly (51 pc) |
Absolute magnitude (MV) | 12 |
Details | |
Mass | 0.64 ± 0.03[4] M☉ |
Surface gravity (log g) | 8.05[5] cgs |
Temperature | 11980[5] K |
Age | 1.2–1.7 billion[4] years |
Other designations | |
Database references | |
SIMBAD | data |
The star is a pulsating white dwarf of type DAV, with an extremely stable period. Small variations in the phase of pulsation led to the suggestion that the star was being orbited by a giant planet which caused the pulsations to be delayed due to the varying distance to the star caused by the reflex motion about the system's centre-of-mass.[3] Observations with the Spitzer Space Telescope failed to directly detect the planet, which put an upper limit on the mass of 5–6 Jupiter masses.[4] Investigation of a separate pulsation mode revealed timing variations in antiphase with the variations in the originally-analysed pulsation mode.[6] This would not be the case if the variations were caused by an orbiting planet, and thus the timing variations must have a different cause. This illustrates the potential dangers of attempting to detect planets by white dwarf pulsation timing.[7]
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.