2 Camelopardalis is a triple star[6] system in the northern circumpolar constellation of Camelopardalis, next to the southern constellation border with Perseus. It is dimly visible to the naked eye with a combined apparent visual magnitude of 5.36.[2] The system is located at a distance of about 213 light-years (65 parsecs) from the Sun, based on its parallax.[1] It is drifting further away with a radial velocity of +20 km/s.[4]

2 Camelopardalis
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Camelopardalis
Right ascension 04h 39m 58.06187s[1]
Declination +53° 28′ 22.4654″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 5.36[2]
Characteristics
A
Spectral type A8V[3]
U−B color index +0.05[2]
B−V color index +0.34[2]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)+20.1±3.2[4] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: +44.269[1] mas/yr
Dec.: −77.004[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)15.3220 ± 0.3790 mas[1]
Distance213 ± 5 ly
(65 ± 2 pc)
Orbit[5]
Primary2 Cam A
Companion2 Cam B
Period (P)26.34 ± 0.05 yr
Semi-major axis (a)0.1727 ± 0.0023″
Eccentricity (e)0.846 ± 0.005
Inclination (i)113.3 ± 3.4°
Longitude of the node (Ω)12.6 ± 2.5°
Periastron epoch (T)B 1988.98 ± 0.03
Argument of periastron (ω)
(secondary)
42.9 ± 2.6°
Orbit[5]
Primary2 Cam AB
Companion2 Cam C
Period (P)660 yr
Semi-major axis (a)1.666 ± 0.019″
Eccentricity (e)0.405 ± 0.015
Inclination (i)132.5 ± 1.9°
Longitude of the node (Ω)286.2 ± 1.8°
Periastron epoch (T)B 2011.7 ± 2.7
Argument of periastron (ω)
(secondary)
105.1 ± 5.4°
Details[5]
A
Mass1.94 M
B
Mass1.45 M
C
Mass1.5 M
Other designations
2 Cam, BD+53° 794, HD 29316, HIP 21730, HR 1466, SAO 24744, ADS 3358 ABC, CCDM J04400+5328ABC, WDS 04400+5328
Database references
SIMBAD2 Cam
2 Cam AB
2 Cam C

The primary member of 2 Camelopardalis, designated component A, is an A-type main-sequence star with a spectral type of A8V. It has an apparent magnitude of 5.86, and has a secondary with an apparent magnitude of 7.35, designated component B.[7] The two orbit each other on a very eccentric orbit with a period of 26.34 years.[5] Further out, there is an eight-magnitude companion (designated component C), orbiting once every few hundred years.[5] As the third star was previously thought to be relatively massive for its luminosity, it was suspected of being a binary star itself,[8] but the current estimate of component C's magnitude as a single star matches its absolute magnitude.[5]

References edit

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ a b c d Mermilliod, J.-C. (1986). "Compilation of Eggen's UBV data, transformed to UBV (unpublished)". Catalogue of Eggen's UBV Data. Bibcode:1986EgUBV........0M.
  3. ^ Appenzeller, Immo (1967). "MK Spectral Types for 185 Bright Stars". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 79 (467): 102. Bibcode:1967PASP...79..102A. doi:10.1086/128449.
  4. ^ a b Holmberg, J.; Nordström, B.; Andersen, J. (2007). "The Geneva-Copenhagen survey of the Solar neighbourhood II". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 475 (2): 519. arXiv:0707.1891. Bibcode:2007A&A...475..519H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20077221. S2CID 119054949.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Tokovinin, A. (2021). "Inner and Outer Orbits in 13 Resolved Hierarchical Stellar Systems". The Astronomical Journal. 161 (3): 144. arXiv:2101.02976. Bibcode:2021AJ....161..144T. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/abda42. S2CID 231419112.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "Sixth Catalog of Orbits of Visual Binary Stars". United States Naval Observatory. Archived from the original on 30 April 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  8. ^ Heintz, W. D. (1996). "A Study of Multiple-Star Systems". The Astronomical Journal. 111: 408. Bibcode:1996AJ....111..408H. doi:10.1086/117792.