Star in the constellation Auriga
π Aurigae (center) in optical light
Pi Aurigae , Latinized from π Aurigae, is the Bayer designation for a single,[ 11] red-hued star in the northern constellation of Auriga . Located about one degree north of the 2nd magnitude star Beta Aurigae ,[ 12] Pi Aurigae is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.25[ 2] Based upon parallax measurements, it is approximately 720 light-years (220 parsecs ) away from Earth.[ 1] At that distance, the brightness of the star is diminished by 0.54 in magnitude from extinction caused by interstellar gas and dust .[ 6]
Pi Aurigae is an evolved bright giant star with a stellar classification of M3 II.[ 4] After exhausting the supply of hydrogen at its core the star has expanded to approximately 219 times the size of the Sun.[ 8] It is classified as a slow irregular variable of type LC and its brightness varies from magnitude +4.24 to +4.34.[ 5] On average, the star is radiating 6,630 times the Sun's luminosity from its enlarged photosphere at an effective temperature of 3,525 K.[ 8]
References
^ a b c d e Vallenari, A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2023). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties" . Astronomy and Astrophysics . 674 : A1. arXiv :2208.00211 . Bibcode :2023A&A...674A...1G . doi :10.1051/0004-6361/202243940 . S2CID 244398875 .
Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR .
^ a b c d Johnson, H. L.; et al. (1966), "UBVRIJKL photometry of the bright stars", Communications of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory , 4 (99): 99, Bibcode :1966CoLPL...4...99J .
^ Eggen, Olin J. (July 1992), "Asymptotic giant branch stars near the sun", Astronomical Journal , 104 (1): 275– 313, Bibcode :1992AJ....104..275E , doi :10.1086/116239 .
^ a b Morgan, W. W.; Keenan, P. C. (1973), "Spectral Classification", Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics , 11 (1): 29, Bibcode :1973ARA&A..11...29M , doi :10.1146/annurev.aa.11.090173.000333 .
^ a b Ruban, E. V.; et al. (September 2006), "Spectrophotometric observations of variable stars", Astronomy Letters , 32 (9): 604– 607, Bibcode :2006AstL...32..604R , doi :10.1134/S1063773706090052 , S2CID 121747360 .
^ a b 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 .
^ 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 c d e McDonald, I.; Zijlstra, A. A.; Watson, R. A. (2017-10-01), "Fundamental parameters and infrared excesses of Tycho-Gaia stars", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , 471 (1): 770– 791, arXiv :1706.02208 , Bibcode :2017MNRAS.471..770M , doi :10.1093/mnras/stx1433 , ISSN 0035-8711 Pi Aurigae's database entry at VizieR .
^ a b Wu, Yue; et al. (January 2011), "Coudé-feed stellar spectral library - atmospheric parameters", Astronomy and Astrophysics , 525 : A71, arXiv :1009.1491 , Bibcode :2011A&A...525A..71W , doi :10.1051/0004-6361/201015014 , S2CID 53480665 .
^ "pi. Aur -- Pulsating variable Star" , SIMBAD , Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg , retrieved 2012-08-20 .
^ Eggleton, P. P.; Tokovinin, A. A. (September 2008), "A catalogue of multiplicity among bright stellar systems", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , 389 (2): 869– 879, arXiv :0806.2878 , Bibcode :2008MNRAS.389..869E , doi :10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13596.x , S2CID 14878976 .
^ O'Meara, Stephen James (2007), Steve O'Meara's Herschel 400 Observing Guide , Cambridge University Press , p. 23, ISBN 978-0521858939 .
External links