AE Aurigae
Star in the constellation Auriga From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
AE Aurigae (abbreviated as AE Aur) is a runaway star in the constellation Auriga; it lights the Flaming Star Nebula.
| Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Auriga |
| Right ascension | 05h 16m 18.14933s[1] |
| Declination | +34° 18′ 44.3444″[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 5.96[2] (5.78 - 6.08[3]) |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | O9.5V[4] |
| U−B color index | −0.70[2] |
| B−V color index | +0.22[2] |
| Variable type | Orion variable[3] |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | 56.70±0.6[5] km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: −4.747 mas/yr[1] Dec.: +43.538 mas/yr[1] |
| Parallax (π) | 2.5740 ± 0.0340 mas[1] |
| Distance | 1,360±260 ly (418±24 pc)[6] |
| Details[6] | |
| Mass | 19.2±0.3 M☉ |
| Radius | 6.8±0.5 R☉ |
| Luminosity | 50,100+4,800 −4,400 L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 4.06±0.05 cgs |
| Temperature | 33,200±300 K |
| Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 9±2 km/s |
| Age | 3.98+0.81 −0.70 Myr |
| Other designations | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
Description
Summarize
Perspective
AE Aurigae is a blue O-type main sequence star with a mean apparent magnitude of +6.0, making it faintly visible to the naked eye under very good observing conditions. It was discovered to be a variable star by Daniel Walter Morehouse, in 1923, and received its variable star designation in 1924.[8] It is classified as an Orion type variable star and its brightness varies irregularly between magnitudes +5.78 and +6.08. It is approximately 1,300 light-years from Earth.
It is a runaway star that might have been ejected during a collision of two binary star groups. This collision, which also is credited with ejecting Mu Columbae and possibly 53 Arietis, has been traced to the Trapezium cluster in the Orion Nebula two million years ago. The binary Iota Orionis may have been the other half of this collision.[9]
AE Aur is seen to light up the Flaming Star nebula, but it was not formed within it. Instead it is passing through the nebula at high speed and producing a violent bow shock and high energy electromagnetic radiation.[10][11]
Companions
Two candidate companion stars have been detected at angular distances of 8.4″ and 0.35″, respectively, but these are thought to be unrelated, optical companions. A new potential companion was discovered using the CHARA array in 2023. In December 2017, it had an angular separation from AE Aurigae of 6.85 mas, and in September 2018 it had an angular separation of 1.74 mas.[12]
References
External links
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