61 Cancri

Last updated
61 Cancri
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0       Equinox J2000.0
Constellation Cancer
Right ascension 08h 57m 58.66668s [1]
Declination +30° 14 01.7715 [1]
Apparent magnitude  (V)+6.290 [2] (7.0 + 7.0) [3]
Characteristics
Spectral type F4V [4]
U−B color index −0.04 [5]
B−V color index +0.42 [5]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)+10.1±0.3 [2]  km/s
Proper motion (μ)RA: +48.10 [1]   mas/yr
Dec.: +27.48 [1]   mas/yr
Parallax (π)18.01 ± 0.52 [1]   mas
Distance 181 ± 5  ly
(56 ± 2  pc)
Details
61 Cnc A
Mass 1.40 [3]   M
Surface gravity (log g)3.87 [6]   cgs
Temperature 6,396 [6]   K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.34 [2]   dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)5 [7]  km/s
Age 2.5 [2]   Gyr
61 Cnc B
Mass 1.40 [3]   M
Other designations
61 Cancri, BD+30°1795, HD 76572, HIP 44031, HR 3563, SAO 61157. [8]
Database references
SIMBAD data

61 Cancri (61 Cnc) is the Flamsteed designation for a visual binary [3] star system in the northern constellation Cancer. The pair have a combined apparent magnitude of 6.25, which means 61 Cancri is faintly visible to the naked eye. (According to the Bortle scale, it can be seen from rural or even dark suburban skies.) Based upon parallax measurements, the system is approximately 181 light years away from Earth.

The two components appear to be roughly identical [9] with individual masses of about 1.4 [3] times that of the Sun and apparent magnitudes of 7.0. [3] Their combined stellar classification is F4V, [4] matching that of an F-type main sequence star. They have an angular separation of 0.300 along a position angle of 129.0° (as of 2014). The pair orbit each other with an estimated period of 40.657 years. [3] No significant level of chromospheric activity has been detected coming from either star. [9]

Related Research Articles

Gamma Cancri Star system in the constellation Cancer

Gamma Cancri is a multiple star system in the constellation of Cancer.

Pi Serpentis, Latinized from π Serpentis, is a solitary white-hued star in the constellation Serpens, located in its head, Serpens Caput. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 18.22 mas as seen from Earth, it is located around 179 light years from the Sun. It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.82.

Psi Velorum

Psi Velorum is a binary star system in the southern constellation of Vela. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 53.15 mas as seen from Earth, it is located 61.4 light years from the Sun. It is visible to the naked eye with a combined apparent visual magnitude of +3.58. The motion of this system through space makes it a candidate member of the Castor stellar kinematic group.

Omicron1 Cancri, Latinized from ο1 Cancri, is a solitary, white-hued star in the zodiac constellation of Cancer. It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of +5.20. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 21.87 mas as seen from Earth, this star is located around 149 light years from the Sun. It most likely forms a co-moving pair with Omicron2 Cancri.

Rho2 Cancri is a solitary, yellow-hued star in the constellation Cancer. With an apparent visual magnitude of 5.22, it is visible to the naked eye on a dark night. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 6.70 mas as seen from Earth, this star is located around 490 light years from the Sun. At that distance, the visual magnitude is diminished by an extinction factor of 0.06 due to interstellar dust.

Sigma1 Cancri, Latinized from σ1 Cancri, is a solitary, white-hued star in the zodiac constellation of Cancer. It is faintly visible to the naked eye, with an apparent visual magnitude of +5.68. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 15.51 mas as seen from Earth, this star is located around 210 light years from the Sun.

Sigma2 Cancri, Latinized from σ2 Cancri, is the Bayer designation for a solitary, white-hued star in the constellation Cancer. It is faintly visible to the naked eye, with an apparent visual magnitude of +5.44. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 16.79 mas as seen from Earth, this star is located around 194 light years from the Sun.

12 Cancri is a star in the zodiac constellation Cancer. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 6.25, placing just below the normal limit for stars visible to the naked eye in good seeing conditions. The star displays an annual parallax shift of 12.50 mas as seen from Earth's orbit, which places it at a distance of about 261 light years. It is moving toward the Sun with a radial velocity of around −10 km/s.

75 Cancri is a binary star in the constellation of Cancer. The system is located about 102 light-years away, based on its stellar properties.

HD 4628 is a main sequence star in the equatorial constellation of Pisces. It has a spectral classification of K2.5 V and an effective temperature of 5,055 K, giving it an orange-red hue with a slightly smaller mass and girth than our Sun. HD 4628 lies at a distance of approximately 24.3 light years from the Sun. The apparent magnitude is just sufficient for this star to be viewed with the unaided eye. The star appears to be slightly older than our Sun—approximately 5.4 billion years old. The surface activity is low and, based upon the detection of UV emission, it may have a relatively cool corona with a temperature of one million K.

Tau Centauri, Latinized from τ Centauri, is a solitary star in the southern constellation of Centaurus. It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of +3.86. The distance to this star, based upon an annual parallax shift of 24.85 mas, is 131 light years. There is a 98% chance that it is a co-moving companion of Gamma Centauri; the two stars have an estimated separation of 1.7 ly (0.53 pc).

Theta1 Crucis is a spectroscopic binary star system in the southern constellation of Crux. It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.30m. The distance to this star, as determined using parallax measurements, is around 235 light years.

Sigma Ceti is the Bayer designation for a star in the equatorial constellation of Cetus. With an apparent visual magnitude of 4.78, it can be seen with the naked eye on a dark night. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 37.46 mas, it lies at an estimated distance of 87.1 light years from the Sun. It is a probable astrometric binary star system.

HD 93194

HD 93194 is a star in the constellation Carina. Its apparent magnitude is 4.79. Its parent cluster is IC 2602.

HD 93607

HD 93607 is a star in the constellation Carina. Its apparent magnitude is 4.87. Its parent cluster is IC 2602.

Upsilon4 Eridani is a close binary star system in the constellation Eridanus. It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 3.56. Based upon parallax measurements, the pair are located around 54.6 parsecs (178 ly) from the Sun.

Sigma Herculis

Sigma Herculis, Latinized from σ Her, is a binary star system in the northern constellation of Hercules. It has a combined apparent visual magnitude of 4.18, making it bright enough to be visible to the naked eye. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 10.36 mas as seen from Earth, Sigma Herculis is located about 310 light years away from the Sun.

Upsilon2 Hydrae, Latinized from υ2 Hydrae, is a solitary star in the equatorial constellation of Hydra. Visible to the naked eye, it is photometrically stable with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.59. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 10.40 mas as seen from Earth, it is located about 314 light years from the Sun.

78 Ursae Majoris is a binary star system in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Major. It is visible to the naked eye as a faint point of light with a combined apparent visual magnitude of 4.93. Parallax estimates by Hipparcos put it at a distance of 83 light-years (25 pc), but it is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −5 km/s. The system is a candidate member of the Ursa Major Moving Group.

Lambda Crateris, Latinized from λ Crateris, is the Bayer designation for a suspected binary star system in the southern constellation of Crater. With an annual parallax shift of 23.32 milliarcsecond as observed from Earth, it is located around 140 light years from the Sun. It is faintly visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 5.08.

References

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  2. 1 2 3 4 Nordström, B.; et al. (May 2014), "The Geneva-Copenhagen survey of the Solar neighbourhood. Ages, metallicities, and kinematic properties of ~14000 F and G dwarfs", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 418: 989–1019, arXiv: astro-ph/0405198 , Bibcode:2004A&A...418..989N, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20035959.
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  6. 1 2 David, Trevor J.; Hillenbrand, Lynne A. (May 2015), "The Ages of Early-type Stars: Strömgren Photometric Methods Calibrated, Validated, Tested, and Applied to Hosts and Prospective Hosts of Directly Imaged Exoplanets", The Astrophysical Journal, 804 (2): 38, arXiv: 1501.03154 , Bibcode:2015ApJ...804..146D, doi:10.1088/0004-637X/804/2/146, 146.
  7. Bernacca, P. L.; Perinotto, M. (1970), "A catalogue of stellar rotational velocities.", Contributi Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova in Asiago, 239, Bibcode:1970CoAsi.239....1B.
  8. "* 61 Cnc". SIMBAD . Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg.
  9. 1 2 Radick, Richard R.; Lockwood, G. W.; Skiff, B. A.; Baliunas, S. L. (September 1998), "Patterns of Variation among Sun-like Stars", The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 118 (1): 239–258, Bibcode:1998ApJS..118..239R, doi: 10.1086/313135 .