Sigma Aurigae, Latinized from σ Aurigae, is a giant star in the northern constellation of Auriga. It is faintly visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.99.[2] With an annual parallax shift of 6.21 mas,[5] it is approximately 530 light-years (160 parsecs) distant from the Earth. This is an evolved giant star with a stellar classification of K4 III.[3]
  | |
| Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Auriga |
| Right ascension | 05h 24m 39.14142s[1] |
| Declination | +37° 23′ 07.2589″[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 4.99[2] |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | K4 III[3] |
| U−B color index | +1.75[2] |
| B−V color index | +1.42[2] |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | –19.7[4] km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: +0.71[5] mas/yr Dec.: –11.51[5] mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 6.2101 ± 0.2221 mas[1] |
| Distance | 530 ± 20 ly (161 ± 6 pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | −0.75[6] |
| Details | |
| Radius | 43.72+1.08 −3.24[1] R☉ |
| Luminosity | 496±20[1] L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 1.75[7] cgs |
| Temperature | 4,120+162 −50[1] K |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | –0.03[7] dex |
| Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 10[8] km/s |
| Other designations | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
Sigma Aurigae has a 12th magnitude companion at an angular separation of 8 arcseconds, as well as two fainter companions at 28 and 35" respectively.[10] All are background objects, stars much further away than Sigma itself.
Sigma Aurigae, along with λ Aur and μ Aur, were Kazwini's Al Ḣibāʽ (ألحباع), the Tent.[11] According to the catalogue of stars in the Technical Memorandum 33-507 – A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars, Al Ḣibāʽ were the title for three stars: λ Aur as Al Ḣibāʽ I, μ Aur as Al Ḣibāʽ II and σ Aur as Al Ḣibāʽ III.[12]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Brown, A. G. A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (August 2018). "Gaia Data Release 2: Summary of the contents and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 616. A1. arXiv:1804.09365. Bibcode:2018A&A...616A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201833051. Gaia DR2 record for this source at VizieR.
- ^ a b c d Argue, A. N. (1966), "UBV photometry of 550 F, G and K type stars", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 133 (4): 475–493, Bibcode:1966MNRAS.133..475A, doi:10.1093/mnras/133.4.475.
- ^ a b Roman, Nancy G. (July 1952), "The Spectra of the Bright Stars of Types F5-K5", Astrophysical Journal, 116: 122, Bibcode:1952ApJ...116..122R, doi:10.1086/145598.
- ^ Famaey, B.; et al. (January 2005), "Local kinematics of K and M giants from CORAVEL/Hipparcos/Tycho-2 data. Revisiting the concept of superclusters", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 430 (1): 165–186, arXiv:astro-ph/0409579, Bibcode:2005A&A...430..165F, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20041272, S2CID 17804304.
- ^ a b c van Leeuwen, Floor (November 2007), "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 474 (2): 653–664, arXiv:0708.1752v1, Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357, S2CID 18759600. Note: see VizieR catalogue I/311.
- ^ Anderson, E.; Francis, Ch. (2012), "XHIP: An extended hipparcos compilation", Astronomy Letters, 38 (5): 331, arXiv:1108.4971, Bibcode:2012AstL...38..331A, doi:10.1134/S1063773712050015, S2CID 119257644.
- ^ a b McWilliam, Andrew (December 1990), "High-resolution spectroscopic survey of 671 GK giants. I - Stellar atmosphere parameters and abundances", Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 74: 1075–1128, Bibcode:1990ApJS...74.1075M, doi:10.1086/191527.
- ^ Bernacca, P. L.; Perinotto, M. (1970), "A catalogue of stellar rotational velocities", Contributi Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova in Asiago, 239 (1): 1, Bibcode:1970CoAsi.239....1B.
- ^ "sig Aur -- Star in double system", SIMBAD Astronomical Database, Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg, retrieved 2012-08-22.
- ^ Mason, Brian D.; Wycoff, Gary L.; Hartkopf, William I.; Douglass, Geoffrey G.; Worley, Charles E. (2001). "The 2001 US Naval Observatory Double Star CD-ROM. I. The Washington Double Star Catalog". The Astronomical Journal. 122 (6): 3466. Bibcode:2001AJ....122.3466M. doi:10.1086/323920.
- ^ Allen, R. H. (1963). Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning (Reprint ed.). New York, NY: Dover Publications Inc. p. 91. ISBN 0-486-21079-0. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
- ^ Rhoads, Jack W. (November 15, 1971), Technical Memorandum 33-507-A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars (PDF), California Institute of Technology: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, retrieved 2012-08-19.