41 Herculis
Binary star in the constellation Hercules
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41 Herculis is a binary star in the constellation Hercules. At an apparent magnitude of +6.55, it is very close to the threshold for naked eye visibility, being visible only in locations far from light pollution. Parallax measurements give a distance of 143 light-years (43.9 parsecs).
| Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox ICRS | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Hercules[1] |
| 41 Herculis | |
| Right ascension | 16h 44m 59.9853s[2] |
| Declination | +06° 05′ 17.364″[2] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +6.55[1] |
| Ross 643 | |
| Right ascension | 16h 44m 59.9658s[3] |
| Declination | +06° 02′ 37.111″[3] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 10.40[4] |
| Characteristics | |
| 41 Herculis | |
| Evolutionary stage | Red-giant branch[2] |
| Spectral type | G8[5] |
| B−V color index | 0.89±0.01[1] |
| Ross 643 | |
| Evolutionary stage | main sequence[3] |
| Spectral type | K3[5] |
| Astrometry | |
| 41 Herculis | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | −6.47±0.02[6] km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: −213.497 mas/yr[2] Dec.: −257.504 mas/yr[2] |
| Parallax (π) | 22.7816±0.0216 mas[2] |
| Distance | 143.2 ± 0.1 ly (43.90 ± 0.04 pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | +3.24[1] |
| Ross 643 | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | −7.03±0.16[3] km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: −215.617 mas/yr[3] Dec.: −258.546 mas/yr[3] |
| Parallax (π) | 22.7631±0.0182 mas[3] |
| Distance | 143.3 ± 0.1 ly (43.93 ± 0.04 pc) |
| Position (relative to 41 Herculis) | |
| Epoch of observation | 2016[4] |
| Angular distance | 163.1[4]″ |
| Position angle | 191[4]° |
| Projected separation | 7,150[7] AU |
| Details | |
| 41 Herculis | |
| Mass | 1.15±0.06[8] M☉ |
| Radius | 2.91±0.11[8] R☉ |
| Luminosity | 5.50+0.38 −0.37[8] L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 3.57±0.14[9] cgs |
| Temperature | 5,077±92[9] K |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | −0.23±0.04[9] dex |
| Rotation | 9.3 days[10] |
| Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 5.37[6] km/s |
| Age | 5.98±1.11[8] Gyr |
| Ross 643 | |
| Mass | 0.653±0.052[11] M☉ |
| Radius | 0.661±0.043[11] R☉ |
| Luminosity | 0.182±0.005[11] L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 4.59[12] cgs |
| Temperature | 4,641±155[11] K |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | −0.16[13] dex |
| Other designations | |
| WDS J16450+0605[14] | |
| 41 Her: BD+06°3288, HD 151090, HIP 81991, G 17-35, 138-61, TIC 395-2558-1[14] | |
| Ross 643: HIP 81988, G 17-34, 138-60, LTT 19463, NLTT 43481, Ross 643, TYC 395-2352-1[15] | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | 41 Herculis |
| Ross 643 | |
Characteristics
The spectrum of 41 Herculis matches a spectral class of G8.[5] Stellar evolution models suggest it is an evolved star that is in the base of the red-giant branch.[2][16] The star is estimated to be six billion years old, has 1.15 times the mass of the Sun and 2.91 times the Sun's radius. It radiates 5.5 times the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere[8] at an effective temperature of 5,077 K.[9] This temperature give it the yellow hue typical of a G-type star.[17]
41 Herculis has a common proper motion companion named Ross 643[7] which is separated by 163.1" from the primary,[4] yielding a projected separation of 7,150 au at the system's distance.[7] It has a spectral type K3,[5] has 0.65 times the mass of the Sun and 61% of the Sun's radius. It irradiates 18.2% of the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 4,641 K,[11] giving it an orange hue typical of K-type stars.[17]
Planetary system
In 2026, a likely planet was discovered around the primary, from the detection of its gravitational pull in the discrepancy between the Hipparcos and Gaia proper motion measurements, taken over a 25-year baseline. Direct imaging and radial velocity data were used to constrain the orbit and mass of the planet, although the use of radial velocity and astrometry alone was enough to rule out stellar companions as the cause of the proper motion changes. The planet has an orbital period between 14.4 and 17.7 years, a semi-major axis of 6.4+0.6
−0.3 au and a mass of 9.5+5.4
−2.2 MJ. The mass constraint yields a 35% chance that it may be a brown dwarf rather than a planet.[7]
| Companion (in order from star) |
Mass | Semimajor axis (AU) |
Orbital period (days) |
Eccentricity | Inclination (°) |
Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| b | 9.5+5.4 −2.2 MJ |
6.4+0.6 −0.3 |
14.4–17.7 | — | — | — |