59 Aurigae
Star in the constellation Auriga
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
59 Aurigae, often abbreviated as 59 Aur, is a star in the constellation Auriga. Its baseline apparent magnitude is 6.1,[3] meaning it can just barely be seen with the naked eye as a dim, yellow-white hued star. Based on parallax measurements, it is located about 482 light-years (148 parsecs) away from the Sun.[2]
| Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox ICRS | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Auriga |
| Right ascension | 06h 53m 01.41097s[2] |
| Declination | +38° 52′ 08.9322″[2] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 6.099[3] |
| Characteristics | |
| Evolutionary stage | subgiant[2] |
| Spectral type | F2V[4] |
| U−B color index | +0.14[5] |
| B−V color index | +0.38[5] |
| Variable type | δ Sct[6] |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | 1.0±4.3[7] km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: −3.916[2] mas/yr Dec.: +6.659[2] mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 6.7702±0.0476 mas[2] |
| Distance | 482 ± 3 ly (148 ± 1 pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | 0.23±0.12[8] |
| Details | |
| Mass | 2.37[9] M☉ |
| Radius | 5.7[10] R☉ |
| Luminosity | 62[2] L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 3.23[9] cgs |
| Temperature | 6,848[10] K |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.18[8] dex |
| Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 165[11] km/s |
| Age | 530[12] Myr |
| Other designations | |
| 59 Aur, OX Aur, BD+39°1771, GC 8993, HD 50018, HIP 33041, HR 2539, SAO 59571, PPM 72197, ADS 5534, CCDM J06530+3852, WDS J06530+3852, TYC 2942-2005-1, GSC 02942-02005 | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
In 1966, Ivan John Danziger and Robert John Dickens discovered that 59 Aurigae star is a variable star.[13] This object is a Delta Scuti variable, meaning it varies in luminosity due to pulsations on its surface, ranging in magnitude from 5.94 down to 6.14 with a period of 0.154412 days (3.7 h).[6] For that reason, in 1975, it was given the variable star designation OX Aurigae.[14] The star's spectrum matches that of an F-type main-sequence star and it has a spectral type of F2V.[4] It has 2.4 times the mass of the Sun[9] and 5.7 times the Sun's radius.[10] 59 Aurigae is thought to be around 530 million years old,[12] and is radiating 62 times the Sun's luminosity[2] from its photosphere an effective temperature of 6,848 K.[10]