Gamma Cancri

Gamma Cancri
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation Cancer
Right ascension 08h 43m 17.14820s [1]
Declination +21° 28 06.6008 [1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 4.66
Characteristics
Spectral type A1IV
Astrometry
Parallax (π)18.00 ± 0.21[2] mas
Distance181 ± 2 ly
(55.6 ± 0.6 pc)
Other designations
Gamma Cancri, Asellus Borealis, 43 Cancri, HR 3449, HD 74198, BD+21°1895, FK5 1228, HIP 42806, SAO 80378, GC 11982, CCDM 08433+2128

Gamma Cancri (γ Cancri, abbreviated Gamma Cnc, γ Cnc), also named Asellus Borealis,[3] is a star in the constellation of Cancer.

Since it is near the ecliptic, it can be occulted by the Moon and, very rarely, by planets.

Nomenclature

γ Cancri (Latinised to Gamma Cancri) is the star's Bayer designation.

It bore the traditional name Asellus Borealis (Latin for "northern donkey colt"). In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN)[4] to catalogue and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN approved the name Asellus Borealis for this star on 6 November 2016 and it is now so entered in the IAU Catalog of Star Names.[3]

In Chinese, 鬼宿 (Guǐ Su), meaning Ghost, refers to an asterism consisting of Gamma Cancri, Theta Cancri, Eta Cancri and Delta Cancri.[5] Consequently, Gamma Cancri itself is known as 鬼宿三 (Guǐ Su sān, English: the Third Star of Ghost.)[6]

Properties

Gamma Cancri is a white A-type subgiant with an apparent magnitude of +4.67. [1] Located around 181 light-years from the Sun, it shines with a luminosity approximately 35 times greater and has a surface temperature of 9108 K.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Gamma+Cancri". SIMBAD. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  2. van Leeuwen, F. (2007). "Validation of the New Hipparcos Reduction". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 474 (2): 653–64. arXiv:0708.1752Freely accessible. Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357.
  3. 1 2 "IAU Catalog of Star Names". Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  4. IAU Working Group on Star Names (WGSN), International Astronomical Union, retrieved 22 May 2016.
  5. (Chinese) 中國星座神話, written by 陳久金. Published by 台灣書房出版有限公司, 2005, ISBN 978-986-7332-25-7.
  6. (Chinese) 香港太空館 - 研究資源 - 亮星中英對照表, Hong Kong Space Museum. Accessed on line November 23, 2010.
  7. McDonald, I.; Zijlstra, A. A.; Boyer, M. L. (2012). "Fundamental Parameters and Infrared Excesses of Hipparcos Stars". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 427 (1): 343–57. arXiv:1208.2037Freely accessible. Bibcode:2012MNRAS.427..343M. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21873.x.
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