RZ Pyxidis

RZ Pyxidis is eclipsing binary system in the constellation Pyxis, made up of two young stars less than two millions years old. Both are hot blue-white stars of spectral type B7V and are around 2.5 times the size of the Sun. One is around five times as luminous as the sun and the other around four times as luminous.^[4] The system is classified as a Beta Lyrae variable, the apparent magnitude ranging from 8.83 to 9.72 over 0.66 days.^[3]

RZ Pyxidis

A light curve for RZ Pyxidis, plotted from Hipparcos data[1]
Observation data Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation	Pyxis
Right ascension	08h 52m 04.39659s[2]
Declination	–27° 29′ 01.4808″[2]
Apparent magnitude (V)	8.83 - 9.72[3]
Characteristics
Spectral type	B7V
Variable type	Beta Lyrae variable
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)	+22.00 ± 7.4 km/s
Proper motion (μ)	RA: –4.67[2] mas/yr Dec.: 4.61[2] mas/yr
Parallax (π)	2.68±1.67 mas[2]
Distance	approx. 1,200 ly (approx. 400 pc)
Other designations
RZ Pyxidis, CD−27° 6009, HD 75920, HIP 43541, SAO 176601.
Database references
SIMBAD	data

References

1. "Hipparcos Tools Interactive Data Access". Hipparcos. ESA. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
2. van Leeuwen, F. (November 2007), "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 474 (2): 653–64, arXiv:0708.1752, Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357, S2CID 18759600
3. Watson, Christopher (4 January 2010). "RZ Pyxidis". The International Variable Star Index. American Association of Variable Star Observers. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
4. Bell, S. A.; Malcolm, G. J. (1987). "RZ Pyxidis – an early-type marginal contact binary". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 227 (2): 481–500. Bibcode:1987MNRAS.227..481B. doi:10.1093/mnras/227.2.481. ISSN 0035-8711.