Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
---|---|
Constellation | Auriga |
Right ascension | 05h 32m 43.67437s [1] |
Declination | +32° 11′ 31.2805″ [1] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 4.74 [2] |
Characteristics | |
Spectral type | B5 Iab [3] |
U−B color index | –0.44 [2] |
B−V color index | +0.32 [2] |
Astrometry | |
Radial velocity (Rv) | –0.2 [4] km/s |
Proper motion (μ) |
RA: −0.812
mas/
yr
[1] Dec.: −3.15 mas/ yr [1] |
Parallax (π) | 0.9087 ± 0.1906 mas [1] |
Distance | 3910±420
ly (1,200±130 pc) [5] |
Absolute magnitude (MV) | –6.4 [6] |
Orbit [6] | |
Period (P) | 676.85 ± 0.21 d |
Eccentricity (e) | 0.116 ± 0.048 |
Longitude of the node (Ω) | 181.7° ± 24.3° |
Periastron epoch (T) | 2422754.2 ± 46.1 HJD |
Semi-amplitude (K1) (primary) | 22.0 ± 2.9 km/s |
Details | |
Mass | 21.1±0.2 [5] M☉ |
Radius | 68±8 [5] R☉ |
Luminosity | 190,500+49,300 −39,200 [5] L☉ |
Surface gravity (log g) | 2.11±0.06 [5] cgs |
Temperature | 14,600±300 [5] K |
Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 40 [7] km/s |
Age | 8.7 [5] Myr |
Other designations | |
Database references | |
SIMBAD | data |
Chi Aurigae, Latinized from χ Aurigae, is the Bayer designation for a binary star system in the northern constellation of Auriga. It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.74. [2] The distance of Chi Aurigae is determined at 3,900 ly based on spectroscopic observations. [5] Parallax measurements by the Hipparcos spacecraft were unsuccessful because the parallax error was bigger than the value itself, [9] while the Gaia spacecraft measured the parallax with a 22% error, giving a distance of 3590±750 ly. [1] The brightness of the star is diminished by 1.26 in magnitude from extinction caused by intervening gas and dust. [6]
Chi Aurigae is a spectroscopic binary with an orbital period of 676.85 d and an eccentricity of 0.12. [10] The primary component of this system is a supergiant star with a stellar classification of B5 Iab. [3] It is over 190,000 times more luminous, around 20 times more massive and around 70 times larger. Its surface has an effective temperature of 14,600 K. [5] It has a stellar wind that is causing mass loss at the rate of 0.38–0.46 × 10−9 solar masses per year, or the equivalent of the Sun's mass every 2.4 billion years. [11]
Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
---|---|
Constellation | Auriga |
Right ascension | 05h 32m 43.67437s [1] |
Declination | +32° 11′ 31.2805″ [1] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 4.74 [2] |
Characteristics | |
Spectral type | B5 Iab [3] |
U−B color index | –0.44 [2] |
B−V color index | +0.32 [2] |
Astrometry | |
Radial velocity (Rv) | –0.2 [4] km/s |
Proper motion (μ) |
RA: −0.812
mas/
yr
[1] Dec.: −3.15 mas/ yr [1] |
Parallax (π) | 0.9087 ± 0.1906 mas [1] |
Distance | 3910±420
ly (1,200±130 pc) [5] |
Absolute magnitude (MV) | –6.4 [6] |
Orbit [6] | |
Period (P) | 676.85 ± 0.21 d |
Eccentricity (e) | 0.116 ± 0.048 |
Longitude of the node (Ω) | 181.7° ± 24.3° |
Periastron epoch (T) | 2422754.2 ± 46.1 HJD |
Semi-amplitude (K1) (primary) | 22.0 ± 2.9 km/s |
Details | |
Mass | 21.1±0.2 [5] M☉ |
Radius | 68±8 [5] R☉ |
Luminosity | 190,500+49,300 −39,200 [5] L☉ |
Surface gravity (log g) | 2.11±0.06 [5] cgs |
Temperature | 14,600±300 [5] K |
Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 40 [7] km/s |
Age | 8.7 [5] Myr |
Other designations | |
Database references | |
SIMBAD | data |
Chi Aurigae, Latinized from χ Aurigae, is the Bayer designation for a binary star system in the northern constellation of Auriga. It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.74. [2] The distance of Chi Aurigae is determined at 3,900 ly based on spectroscopic observations. [5] Parallax measurements by the Hipparcos spacecraft were unsuccessful because the parallax error was bigger than the value itself, [9] while the Gaia spacecraft measured the parallax with a 22% error, giving a distance of 3590±750 ly. [1] The brightness of the star is diminished by 1.26 in magnitude from extinction caused by intervening gas and dust. [6]
Chi Aurigae is a spectroscopic binary with an orbital period of 676.85 d and an eccentricity of 0.12. [10] The primary component of this system is a supergiant star with a stellar classification of B5 Iab. [3] It is over 190,000 times more luminous, around 20 times more massive and around 70 times larger. Its surface has an effective temperature of 14,600 K. [5] It has a stellar wind that is causing mass loss at the rate of 0.38–0.46 × 10−9 solar masses per year, or the equivalent of the Sun's mass every 2.4 billion years. [11]