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R Aurigae
Star in the constellation Auriga / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
R Aurigae (R Aur) is a Mira variable, a pulsating red giant star in the constellation of Auriga, at a distance of 930 light years.
Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS) | |
---|---|
Constellation | Auriga |
Right ascension | 05h 17m 17.6916s[2] |
Declination | +53° 35′ 10.032″[2] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 6.7 to 13.9[3] |
Characteristics | |
Spectral type | M7IIIe[4] (M6e - M9e)[3] |
U−B color index | +0.27[5] |
B−V color index | +1.66[5] |
Variable type | Mira[3] |
Astrometry | |
Radial velocity (Rv) | 7.8 ± 2[6] km/s |
Proper motion (μ) | RA: 14.708[2] mas/yr Dec.: −14.685[2] mas/yr |
Parallax (π) | 3.4958 ± 0.1327 mas[2] |
Distance | 930 ± 40 ly (290 ± 10 pc) |
Details | |
Radius | 300[7] R☉ |
Luminosity | 11,530[8] L☉ |
Temperature | 2,385[8] K |
Other designations | |
Database references | |
SIMBAD | data |
R Aurigae has an apparent visual magnitude which varies between 6.7 and 13.9 with a period of 450 days.[3] The light curve varies strongly from cycle to cycle, sometimes having a pronounced hump on the ascending branch and usually having rise and fall times approximately equal. The cycle period has oscillated slowly between about 450 and 465 days. The discoverer of R Aurigae's variability is not known, but it was widely observed in the late 19th century and its spectrum was described in 1890.[9]
R Aurigae is catalogued as a component of a double star, with the 10th magnitude HD 233095, although the two stars are unrelated.[10]