Xi Aurigae
Star in the constellation Auriga
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Xi Aurigae is a single,[10] white-hued star in the northern constellation of Auriga. Its name is a Bayer designation that is Latinized from ξ Aurigae, and abbreviated Xi Aur or ξ Ari. This star was once considered part of the constellation of Camelopardalis and held the Flamsteed designation 32 Camelopardalis.[11] It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of +5.0.[3] The measured annual parallax shift of this star is 13.37 mas,[2] which corresponds to a physical distance of 244 light-years (75 parsecs) with a 3 light-year margin of error. At that distance, the visual magnitude of the star is diminished by an extinction of 0.108 due to interstellar dust.[12] The star is drifting closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of −13 km/s.[6]
 | |
| Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS) | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Auriga[1] |
| Right ascension | 05h 54m 50.76694s[2] |
| Declination | +55° 42′ 25.0802″[2] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +5.00[3] |
| Characteristics | |
| Evolutionary stage | main sequence[4] |
| Spectral type | A2 Va[5] |
| U−B color index | +0.12[3] |
| B−V color index | +0.05[3] |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | −13.3±2.4[6] km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: −7.049 mas/yr[2] Dec.: +12.959 mas/yr[2] |
| Parallax (π) | 13.3702±0.1670 mas[2] |
| Distance | 244 ± 3 ly (74.8 ± 0.9 pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | +0.64[1] |
| Details | |
| Mass | 2.26[7] M☉ |
| Radius | 2.86[7] R☉ |
| Luminosity | 47.3[7] L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 3.88[7] cgs |
| Temperature | 8,954[7] K |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | −0.36±0.04[1] dex |
| Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 62[8] km/s |
| Age | 174[8] Myr |
| Other designations | |
| ξ Ari, 30 Aurigae, BD+55°1027, FK5 1157, GC 7404, HD 39283, HIP 27949, HR 2029, SAO 25450, PPM 30117[9] | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
This is an A-type main sequence star with a stellar classification of A2 Va.[5] Although it was one of the first stars to be cataloged as a Lambda Boötis star, Murphy et al. (2015) don't consider it to be a member of this population.[5] The star has nearly twice[8] the mass of the Sun and about 2.9 times the Sun's radius.[7] It is an estimated 174 million years old[8] and is spinning with a projected rotational velocity of 62 km/s.[7] Xi Aurigae is radiating 47.3 times the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of around 8,954 K.[7]