KY Cygni

Last updated
KY Cygni
Sadr Region rgb.jpg
Red circle.svg
Location of KY Cygni (circled, east is up)
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0        Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation Cygnus
Right ascension 20h 25m 58.04s [1]
Declination +38° 21 07.7 [1]
Apparent magnitude  (V)11.14 [2] (10.60 - 11.74 [3] )
Characteristics
Spectral type M3 Ia [4] (M3.5 Ia [5] )
U−B color index +2.91 [2]
B−V color index +3.39 [2]
Variable type Lc [5]
Astrometry
Proper motion (μ)RA: –3.556 [1]   mas/yr
Dec.: –6.061 [1]   mas/yr
Parallax (π)0.6687 ± 0.0517  mas [1]
Distance 4,900 ± 400  ly
(1,500 ± 100  pc)
Absolute magnitude  (MV)–8.18 [6]
Details
Radius 1,033 [7]  1,420 [6]   R
Luminosity 138,000 [2] – 270,000 [6] [8]   L
Surface gravity (log g)−0.5 (−0.9?) [6]   cgs
Temperature 3,550 [9]   K
Other designations
KY  Cyg, GSC  03152-01140, IRAS  20241+3811, IRC+40415, TYC  3152-1140-1, RAFGL  2575, UCAC2  45230193, 2MASS  J20255805+3821076
Database references
SIMBAD data

KY Cygni is a red supergiant of spectral class M3.5Ia located in the constellation Cygnus. It is approximately 5,000 light-years away.

Contents

Observations

KY Cyg lies near the bright open cluster NGC 6913, but is not thought to be a member. The location is close to the bright star γ Cygni. [10] It was identified as a variable star in 1930, [11] and later named as KY Cygni. [12] The spectrum was given the MK classification of M3 Ia, with only minor adjustments since. [4]

KY Cygni is heavily reddened due to interstellar extinction, losing an estimated 7.75 magnitudes at visual wavelengths. It would be a naked eye star if no light was lost. [6]

Properties

Size comparison of Betelgeuse, Mu Cephei, KY Cygni, and V354 Cephei, according to estimates derived in 2005 Mukyv354.png
Size comparison of Betelgeuse, Mu Cephei, KY Cygni, and V354 Cephei, according to estimates derived in 2005

KY Cygni is classified as a luminous red supergiant with a strong stellar wind. It is losing mass at around 4.9×10−6  M and has been described as a cool hypergiant. [2] [13]

Its properties are uncertain, but the temperature is around 3,500 K. A model fit based on K-band infrared brightness gives a luminosity of 273,000 L, corresponding to a radius of 1,420 R. Another model based on visual brightness gives an unexpectedly large luminosity of 1,107,000 L, with the difference due mainly to the assumptions about the level of extinction. The radius corresponding to the higher luminosity would be 2,850 R. These parameters are larger and more luminous than expected for any red supergiant, making them doubtful. [6] More recently, integration of the spectral energy distributions across a full range of wavelengths from U band to the 60 micron microwave flux gives an even lower luminosity of 138,000 L, [2] and calculation of the bolometric luminosity based on its Gaia Data Release 2 parallax gives a luminosity below 70,000 L with a corresponding radius of 672 R. [9]

A visual band light curve for KY Cygni, plotted from data published by Kochanek et al. (2017) KYCygLightCurve.png
A visual band light curve for KY Cygni, plotted from data published by Kochanek et al. (2017)

KY Cygni is a variable star with a large amplitude but no clear periodicity. At times, it varies rapidly, at others it is fairly constant for long periods. [10] The photographic magnitude range is given as 13.5 - 15.5, [5] while a visual range is 10.60 - 11.74. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phi Cassiopeiae</span> Star in the constellation Cassiopeia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow hypergiant</span> Class of massive star with a spectral type of A to K

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">V354 Cephei</span> Star in the constellation Cepheus

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">MY Cephei</span> Star in the constellation Cepheus

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">HR Carinae</span> Star in the constellation Carina

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">S Persei</span> Red supergiant or hypergiant variable star in the constellation Perseus

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">NO Aurigae</span> Star in the constellation Auriga

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">HD 168607</span> Star in the constellation Sagittarius

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">NML Cygni</span> Star in the constellation Cygnus

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">PZ Cassiopeiae</span> Star in the constellation Cassiopeia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">AH Scorpii</span> Star in the constellation Scorpius

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">BC Cygni</span> Star in the constellation Cygnus

BC Cygni is a red supergiant and pulsating variable star of spectral type M3.5Ia in the constellation Cygnus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RW Cygni</span> Star in the constellation Cygnus

RW Cygni is a semiregular variable star in the constellation Cygnus, about a degree east of 2nd magnitude γ Cygni. Its apparent magnitude varies between 8.05 and 9.70 and its spectral type between M3 and M4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BI Cygni</span> Star in the constellation Cygnus

BI Cygni(BI Cyg, IRC +40408, BD+36 4025) is a red supergiant in the constellation Cygnus. It is an irregular variable star with a maximum brightness of magnitude 8.4 and a minimum of magnitude 9.9. It is considered a member of the stellar Cygnus OB1 association, its distance is around 2,600 parsecs (8,500 ly) of the Solar System. It is less than a degree south of another variable red supergiant, BC Cygni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HD 143183</span> Star in the constellation Norma

HD 143183 is a red supergiant variable star of spectral type M3Ia in constellation Norma. It is a member of the Norma OB1 association, at a distance of about 2 kiloparsecs. It is one of the most luminous red supergiants with a luminosity over 100,000 times greater than the Sun (L), and is as well one of the largest stars with a radius more than a thousand times that of the Sun (R). Older studies frequently calculated higher luminosities and radii. It has an estimated mass loss rate of 5×10−5 M per year and has been once described as a cool hypergiant. It is surrounded by a dozen early-type stars and a circumstellar nebula which extends 0.12 parsecs (0.39 ly).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">V1936 Aquilae</span> Blue supergiant star in the constellation Aquila

V1936 Aquilae is a blue supergiant and candidate Luminous blue variable located in the nebula Westerhout 51, in the constellation Aquila, about 20,000 light years away. The star was originally identified as a massive star in 2000, and was thought to be an O-type supergiant. However, subsequent analyses have shown it to be not O but B-type, as well as being possibly an LBV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">V1027 Cygni</span> Star in the constellation Cygnus

V1027 Cygni is a luminous yellow supergiant star located in the constellation of Cygnus, about 14,000 light years away. For a time, it was thought that it could be a low-mass post-AGB star, however recent parallax measurements published in Gaia DR3 have shown this to likely not be the case, and instead it is likely a massive yellow supergiant star.

References

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