Sigma Canis Majoris

Sigma Canis Majoris (σ Canis Majoris, abbreviated Sigma CMa, σ CMa), also named Unurgunite , is a variable star in the southern constellation of Canis Major. It is approximately from the Sun and has an average apparent visual magnitude of +3.41.
Nomenclature.
"σ Canis Majoris" (Latinised to "Sigma Canis Majoris") is the system's Bayer designation. The star is identified with the nganurganity "Jacky lizard" in the culture of the Boorong, a clan of the indigenous Maligundidj people of northwestern Victoria in Australia, who saw it as an ancestral figure who fights the moon, flanked by his wives (the stars Delta and Epsilon Canis Majoris).
The name was transcribed by settler William Stanbridge as "Unurgunite" in the 1850s. (Initial "ng-", which does not occur in English, was typically ignored in transcription of that era.)
In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN approved the name "Unurgunite" for this star on 5 September 2017 and it is now so included in the List of IAU-approved Star Names.
Properties.
Sigma Canis Majoris is a supergiant star with a stellar classification of K4 III. This is a type of star that is in the late stages of its evolution, having consumed the hydrogen at its core and ballooned out to 399 times the Sun's radius. At 1.86 Astronomical units, this radius is nearly double the average distance of the Earth from the Sun. It is currently radiating more than 20,000 times the luminosity of the Sun from its outer envelope at an effective temperature of around 3,710 K. This gives it the cool orange-red hue of an M-type star.
Variability.
Sigma Canis Majoris was noted as a likely variable star in a list of bright southern stars studied at the Cape Observatory. The variability was confirmed in 1963, and it was formally catalogued as a variable star.
It is classified as an irregular variable star and its brightness varies from magnitude +3.43 to +3.51. The magnetic field of this star has a strength below 1 G. It is suspected of being a member of the Collinder 121 stellar association of co-moving stars, but this is disputed.
Pre-supernova.
Sigma Canis Majoris is listed as a possible type II supernova. Instruments are capable of measuring the pre-supernova neutrino flux which would act as an alert that the supernova explosion was starting.


Delta Serpentis

Delta Serpentis, Latinized from δ Serpentis, is a binary star system system in the constellation Serpens, in its head (Serpens Caput). The light from the two stars in the system give a combined apparent magnitude of +3.80, which is bright enough to be visible to the naked eye. Based on parallax measurements, it is located at a distance of approximately 230 light years from the Sun. The system is moving closer with a radial velocity of −42 km/s, and may come to within in 1.2 million years.
The primary, component A, is a yellow-white F-type subgiant with an apparent magnitude of +4.25. It is classified as a Delta Scuti type variable star and its magnitude varies by 0.04 with a period of 0.1557 days. Its binary companion, component B, is also a F-type subgiant which is slightly dimmer, with a magnitude of +5.2. A and B are separated by four arcseconds on the sky, and perform one orbit around their centre of mass once every 3200 years.
Naming.
It was a member of indigenous Arabic asterism al-Nasaq al-Yamānī, "the Southern Line" of "al-Nasaqān" "the Two Lines", along with α Ser (Unukalhai), ε Ser (Ba, Pa), δ Oph (Yed Prior), ε Oph (Yed Posterior), ζ Oph (Han) and γ Oph (Tsung Ching).
According to the catalogue of stars in the "Technical Memorandum 33-507 - A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars", "al-Nasaq al-Yamānī" or Nasak Yamani were the title for two stars :δ Ser as "Nasak Yamani I" and ε Ser as "Nasak Yamani II" (exclude α Ser, δ Oph, ε Oph, ζ Oph and γ Oph)
In Chinese, (), meaning "Right Wall of Heavenly Market Enclosure", refers to an asterism which is represent eleven old states in China which is marking the right borderline of the enclosure, consisting of δ Serpentis, β Herculis, γ Herculis, κ Herculis, γ Serpentis, β Serpentis, α Serpentis, ε Serpentis, δ Ophiuchi, ε Ophiuchi and ζ Ophiuchi. Consequently, the Chinese name for δ Serpentis itself is (, ), represent the state Qin (秦) (or Tsin), together with θ Capricorni and 30 Capricorni (according to Ian Ridpath version) in "Twelve States" (asterism).


GY Andromedae

GY Andromedae (GY And) is an α2 Canum Venaticorum type variable star in the northern constellation Andromeda. Its brightness fluctuates in visual magnitude between 6.27m and 6.41m, making it a challenge to view with the naked eye even in good seeing conditions. The magnetic activity on this star shows an unusually long period of variability, cycling about once every 23 years. Based upon parallax measurements, this star is located at a distance of about from the Earth.
This is classified as an Ap/Bp star, with a peculiar spectrum showing lines of chromium and europium that change in intensity over a period matching the variability cycle, although opposite in phase. Its most striking characteristic is the presence of the unstable element promethium in its emission spectrum. All isotopes of this element are radioactive with half lives of 17.7 years or less. The promethium in the outer envelope may be generated by the spontaneous fission of higher mass transuranic elements.
System.
Based on radial velocity measurements taken at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory between 1927 and 1935 Canadian astronomer William Edmund Harper strongly suspected that this star is a spectroscopic binary. In 1958, American astronomer Horace W. Babcock confirmed the binary nature of the star. It has an orbital period of 273 days with a large eccentricity of 0.47. The two components are separated by an estimated distance of at least , or 0.25 Astronomical Units.


Gamma Corvi

Gamma Corvi (γ Corvi, abbreviated Gamma Crv, γ Crv) is a binary star and the brightest star in the southern constellation of Corvus, having an apparent visual magnitude of 2.59. The system's two components are designated Gamma Corvi A (officially named Gienah , traditionally the name of the system)) and Gamma Corvi B. The distance to this system has been measured directly using the parallax technique, yielding an estimated from the Sun.
Nomenclature.
"γ Corvi" (Latinised to "Gamma Corvi") is the system's Bayer designation. The designation of the components – "Gamma Corvi A" and "B" – derives from the convention used by the Washington Multiplicity Catalog (WMC) for multiple star systems, and adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
Gamma Corvi bore the traditional name of "Gienah" derived from Arabic, from Ulugh Beg's الجناح الغراب اليمن "al-janāħ al-ghirāb al-yaman", meaning "the right wing of the crow", although on modern charts it marks the left wing. The star Epsilon Cygni also bore this traditional name and Gamma Corvi was referred to as "Gienah Corvi" or "Gienah Ghurab" to distinguish it from this star in Cygnus.
In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalogue and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN decided to attribute proper names to individual stars rather than entire multiple systems. It approved the name "Gienah" for the component "Gamma Corvi A" on 6 November 2016 and "Aljanah" for "Epsilon Cygni Aa" on 30 June 2017. They are both now so included in the List of IAU-approved Star Names.
"Al-janāħ al-ghirāb al-yaman" or "Djenah al Ghyrab al Eymen" appeared in the catalog of stars in the "Calendarium of Al Achsasi Al Mouakket", which was translated into Latin as "Dextra ala Corvi".
In Chinese, (), meaning "Chariot (asterism)", refers to an asterism consisting of Gamma Corvi, Epsilon Corvi, Delta Corvi and Beta Corvi. Consequently, Gamma Corvi itself is known as (, ).
Properties.
Gamma Corvi A is a giant star with a stellar classification of B8 III and has approximately 4.2 times the mass of the Sun. It has a blue-white hue. The spectrum of this star displays an anomalously higher than normal abundance of the elements mercury and manganese, making this a Mercury-manganese star. However, there are other elements that show large over or under abundances. This chemical peculiarity in an otherwise stable stellar atmosphere is most likely caused by separation of the elements through diffusion and gravitational settling.
It has a confirmed stellar companion with a mass of about 0.8 times the Sun's, which may be orbiting at a separation of around 50 AU over a 158-year period. The photometry for Gamma Corvi B suggests a stellar classification in the range K5–M5 V.


SAO 206462

SAO 206462 is a young star, surrounded by a circumstellar disc of gas and clearly defined spiral arms. It is situated about 460 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Lupus. The presence of these spiral arms seems to be related to the existence of planets inside the disk of gas surrounding the star. The disk's diameter is about twice the size of the orbit of Pluto.
Discovery.
The discovery of this object was presented in October 2011 by Carol Grady, astronomer of Eureka Scientific, headquartered in the Goddard Space Flight Center at NASA. It was the first of this class that exhibited a high degree of clarity and was made using several space telescopes (Hubble, FUSE, Spitzer) and earth telescopes (Gemini Observatory and Subaru Telescope, situated in Hawaii), through an international research program of young stars and of stars with planets. A number of astronomers of different observatories collaborated.


R Leonis Minoris

R Leonis Minoris (R LMi) is a Mira variable type star in the constellation Leo Minor. It ranges between apparent magnitude 6.3 and 13.2, and spectral types M6.5e to M9.0e (Tc:), over a period of 372 days.


Star (Chinese constellation)

The Star mansion (星宿, pinyin: Xīng Xiù) is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the southern mansions of the Vermilion Bird.


93 Leonis

93 Leonis (93 Leo) is a binary star in the constellation Leo. Its apparent magnitude is 4.522. Based on the system's parallax, 93 Leonis is located about 233 light-years (71 parsecs) away.
93 Leonis is a double-lined spectroscopic binary. Two components are known to exist, because their spectral lines shift periodically, due to the Doppler effect. The two stars are a G-type red giant and an A-type main-sequence star. They complete an orbit once every 71.69 days. The system is also known to be an RS Canum Venaticorum variable, due to its binarity. For that reason, it has been given the variable star designation DQ Leonis.
In Chinese astronomy, 93 Leonis is called 太子, Pinyin: Tàizǐ, meaning "Crown Prince", because this star is marking itself and stand alone in "Crown Prince" asterism, Supreme Palace enclosure mansion (see : Chinese constellation).


NGC 3432

NGC 3432 is a spiral galaxy that can be found in the constellation Leo Minor. It is currently interacting with UGC 5983, a dwarf galaxy. Tidal filaments and intense star formation can also been seen from the interaction, which is why it was listed in Halton Arp's Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies.


F Orionis

The Bayer designation f Orionis is shared by two star systems in the constellation Orion:


List of stars in Cepheus

This is the list of notable stars in the constellation Cepheus, sorted by decreasing brightness.


33 Pegasi

33 Pegasi is the Flamsteed designation for a visual binary star in the northern constellation of Pegasus. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 6.2, placing it near the limit of naked eye visibility. Measurements show an annual parallax shift of


RCW 79

RCW 79 is an emission nebula in the constellation Centaurus.
A cosmic bubble of gas and dust, RCW 79 has grown to about 70 light-years in diameter, blown by the winds and radiation from hot young stars. Infrared light from the dust embedded in the nebula is tinted red in this false-color view from the Spitzer Space Telescope. A good 17 thousand light-years away in the grand southern constellation Centaurus, the expanding nebula itself has triggered star formation as it plows into the gas and dust surrounding it. In fact, this penetrating infrared picture reveals groups of new stars as yellowish points scattered along the bubble's edge. One remarkable group still lies within its own natal bubble at about 7 o'clock (lower left), while another can be seen near the upper gap at about 3 o'clock (right) from the bubble's center.
The nebula is estimate to be 2.0 - 2.5 million years old. It surrounds a central cluster of hot massive stars, with the hottest having spectral types of O4-5.
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope easily detects infrared light from the dust particles in RCW 79. The young stars within RCW79 radiate ultraviolet light that excites molecules of dust within the bubble. This causes the dust grains to emit infrared light that is detected by Spitzer and seen here as the extended red features.


66 Tauri

66 Tauri, also known as r Tauri, is a binary star in the constellation of Taurus. The combined apparent magnitude of the system is 5.098, with the magnitudes of the two components being 5.8 and 5.9, respectively. Parallax measurements by Hipparcos put 66 Tauri at some 400 light-years (121 parsecs) away.
This is a visual binary where the positions of the two stars are tracked over time, and used to calculate an orbit. The two stars orbit each other every 55 years. Their orbit is fairly eccentric, at 0.720, and the two stars are separated by on average. Both stars are A-type main-sequence stars with similar masses.


Eta Ursae Minoris

Eta Ursae Minoris, Latinized from η Ursae Minoris, is a yellow-white hued star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor.
This is an F-type main-sequence star of stellar classification F5 V with an apparent magnitude of +4.95, making it faintly visible to the naked eye. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 33.63 mas as seen from the Earth, it is located 97 light years from the Sun. The star is moving closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of −11 km/s, and is traversing the sky with a relatively high proper motion of 0.271 arc seconds per year.
Eta Ursae Minoris is about one billion years old and has an estimated 1.35 times the mass of the Sun. It has a high rate of spin with a projected rotational velocity of 84.8 km/s. These coordinates mark a source of X-ray emission with a luminosity of . Eta Ursae Minoris may form a wide binary system with a magnitude 15.3 companion star, located at an angular separation of 228.5 arc seconds.
In some Arabic star charts it is labeled انور الفرقدين "ʼanwar al-farqadayn", "the brighter of the two calves", and paired with ζ Ursae Minoris as اخفي الفرقدين "akhfā al-farkadain" "the dimmer of the two calves". The names may originally refer to a pair of Ibexes, and are more properly applied to β UMi and γ UMi respectively, the brighter two stars in the rectangle of Ursa Minor.


38 Cancri

38 Cancri is a variable star in the zodiac constellation Cancer, located around 607 light years from the Sun. This object has the variable star designation BT Cancri; "38 Cancri" is the Flamsteed designation. It is a member of the Praesepe cluster but is a challenge to view with the naked eye, having an apparent visual magnitude of 6.65. The star is moving closer to the Earth with a heliocentric radial velocity of +32 km/s.
This is an evolving subgiant star with a stellar classification of F0 IV. It was found to be a pulsating variable by Michel Breger in 1970 and is classed as a Delta Scuti variable. The star displays a pattern of variation showing up to 22 different frequencies, with three being dominant. The brightness varies by up to 0.07 in magnitude. The star has a magnetic field with a computed longitudinal field strength of . It has 1.8 times the mass of the Sun and 1.8 times the Sun's radius. The star is radiating 59 times the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of around 7,300 K.


Gamma Eridani

Gamma Eridani (γ Eridani, abbreviated Gamma Eri, γ Eri), formally named Zaurak , is a variable star in the constellation of Eridanus. It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude that varies around 2.9, and lies at a distance of about 203 light years from the Sun, as determined by the Hipparcos astrometry satellite. This is an evolved red giant star that is currently on the asymptotic giant branch of the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.
Nomenclature.
"Gamma Eridani" is the star's Bayer designation. It has the traditional name "Zaurak", alternatively spelled Zaurac, which is Arabic for 'boat'. In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN's first bulletin of July 2016 included a table of the first two batches of names approved by the WGSN; which included "Zaurak" for this star.
In Chinese, (), meaning "Celestial Meadows", refers to an asterism consisting of γ Eridani, δ Eridani, π Eridani, ε Eridani, ζ Eridani, η Eridani, π Ceti, τ1 Eridani, τ2 Eridani, τ3 Eridani, τ4 Eridani, τ5 Eridani, τ6 Eridani, τ7 Eridani, τ8 Eridani and τ9 Eridani. Consequently, the Chinese name for γ Eridani itself is (, .)
USS Zaurak (AK-117) was a United States Navy Crater class cargo ship named after the star.


Lambda Centauri

Lambda Centauri (λ Cen, λ Centauri) is a star in the southern circumpolar constellation of Centaurus. It has an apparent visual magnitude of +3.13, which is bright enough to be seen with the naked eye from the Southern Hemisphere and places it among the brighter members of this constellation. The star is close enough that its distance can be determined directly using the parallax technique, which gives a value of roughly from Earth, with a 5% margin of error. Although a putative solitary star, it has a candidate proper motion companion at an angular separation of 0.73 arcseconds along a position angle of 135°. The nebula IC 2944 lies nearby.
Lambda Centauri is a B-type giant star with a stellar classification of B9 III. (Although it has also been classified as A1 III.) It has about 5.5 times the radius of the Sun and is rotating rapidly with a projected rotational velocity of . The star's outer atmosphere has an effective temperature of 9,880 K, giving it a blue-white hue.
Based upon the position and movement of this star through space, it is a likely member of the Gould Belt. In particular, it belongs to the Lower Centaurus-Crux (LCC) group of the Scorpius–Centaurus Association, which is the nearest OB association to the Sun. This is a loose grouping of stars that share a common motion through space and therefore formed in the same molecular cloud. The LCC group has an estimated age of 16–20 million years and is centered on a mean distance of from Earth.


Zeta Eridani

Zeta Eridani (ζ Eridani, abbreviated Zeta Eri, ζ Eri) is a binary star in the constellation of Eridanus. With an apparent visual magnitude of 4.80, it is visible to the naked eye on a clear dark night. Based on parallax measurements taken during the Hipparcos mission, it is approximately 110 light-years from the Sun.
Zeta Eridani is the primary or 'A' component of a multiple star system designated WDS J03158-0849 (the secondary or 'B' component is 14 Eridani). Zeta Eridani's two components are therefore designated WDS J03158-0849 Aa and Ab. Aa is formally named Zibal , the traditional name for the system.
Nomenclature.
"ζ Eridani" (Latinised to "Zeta Eridani") is the binary star's Bayer designation. WDS J03158-0849 A is its designation in the Washington Double Star Catalog. The designations of the two components as WDS J03158-0849 Aa and Ab derive from the convention used by the Washington Multiplicity Catalog (WMC) for multiple star systems, and adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
Zeta Eridani bore the traditional name of "Zibal". This is an old misreading of the Arabic رئل "riʼal" "ostrich chicks" (with the carrier letter for the glottal stop taken for a 'b', and ر 'r' taken for ز 'z'), originally applied to a number of stars near Beid and Keid.
In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalogue and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN decided to attribute proper names to individual stars rather than entire multiple systems. It approved the name "Zibal" for the component WDS J03158-0849 Aa on 12 September 2016 and it is now so included in the List of IAU-approved Star Names.
Properties.
Zeta Eridani is a single-lined spectroscopic binary system with an orbital period of 17.9 days and an eccentricity of 0.14. The primary is a mild Am star with a stellar classification of kA4hA9mA9V. This notation indicates this is a main-sequence star with the Ca-II K absorption line strength (k) of an A4 star, and the hydrogen lines (h) and metallic lines (m) of an A9 star. It has about 185% of the Sun's mass and 10.3 times the Sun's radius. This is a relatively young star with an estimated age of 800 million years, and it appears to have a moderately high rotation rate with a projected rotational velocity of 82 km/s.
The system displays a statistically significant infrared excess at a wavelength of 70 μm. This suggests the presence of an orbiting debris disk. The temperature of the dust is 70 K, indicating an orbital distance of 31 AU. It has an estimated mass of about 0.26% of the Earth.


Noctua (constellation)

Noctua (Latin: "owl") was a constellation near the tail of Hydra in the southern celestial hemisphere, but is no longer recognized. It was introduced by Alexander Jamieson in his 1822 work, "A Celestial Atlas", and appeared in a derived collection of illustrated cards, "Urania's Mirror". Now designated Asterism "a", the owl was composed of the stars 4 Librae and 54–57 Hydrae, which range from 4th to 6th magnitude.
The French astronomer Pierre Charles Le Monnier had introduced a bird on Hydra's tail as the constellation Solitaire, named for the extinct flightless bird, the Rodrigues solitaire, but the image was that of a rock thrush which had been classified in the genus "Turdus", giving rise to the constellation name Turdus Solitarius, the solitary thrush. It has also been depicted as a mockingbird. The boundaries of the constellation were defined as longitude 0° to 26°30' and from the ecliptic to 15° S.


Kepler-296c

Kepler-296c is a confirmed exoplanet located in the binary star system Kepler-296. It was discovered in 2014 by the Kepler space telescope using the transit method. During a study by members of the NASA Ames Research Center on two other planets in the Kepler-296 system, Kepler-296f and Kepler-296e, they were able to confirm that Kepler-296 c is an exoplanet with "more than 99% confidence".


NGC 5728

NGC 5728 is an active barred spiral galaxy located 146 million light years away in the southern constellation of Libra. It was discovered on May 7, 1787 by William Herschel. The designation comes from the "New General Catalogue" of J. L. E. Dreyer, published in 1888. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 13.40 and spans an angle of . The galaxy shows a red shift of 0.00935 and has a heliocentric radial velocity of 2,803 km/s. It has an estimated mass of 72 billion times the mass of the Sun and stretches around across.
The morphological classification of this galaxy is SAB(r)a?, which indicates a weakly barred spiral galaxy (SAB) with a ring-like structure (r) and possible tightly wound arms (a?). The Spitzer galactic survey lists a morphology code of (R1)SB(r′l,bl,nr,nb)0/a, meaning a barred spiral having a closer outer ring and an inner pseudo-ring/lens, plus a nuclear ring and bar/bar-lens. Vera Rubin described it has having a "distinct elliptical structure intermediate between a spheroid and a disk". Asymmetrical gas distribution in the galaxy suggests it has undergone a minor merger event that did not produce tidal tails.
In addition to the main bar, there is what appears to be a counter-rotating nuclear bar in the inner , which is at an angle of 60° from the main bar. There is evidence of star formation, but that has nearly ceased in the nuclear region due to the molecular gas being all but exhausted. The nuclear bar, if it exists, now consists of stars with little surrounding gas.
This is a Seyfert galaxy of type 1.9, indicating it has an obscured active galactic nucleus (AGN) powered by a supermassive black hole at the center. The estimated mass of this object is and it is accreting mass at the rate of . Energy released by the AGN is visible in the form of ionized cones that extend outward from the nucleus to a distance of more than , and lie across the line of sight from the Earth. X-ray and radio jets have been detected. The nucleus is being fed by spiraling filaments and dust lanes from the surrounding galaxy. The AGN itself is hidden behind a bar of dust approximately 64 pc in length. The outflow from the core is encountering the galactic ring at a distance of and is significantly enhancing star formation in that region compared to other parts of the ring.
The type Ia supernova SN 2009Y was reported in February 2009, before it reached maximum. It was magnitude 16.0 at discovery and located north and east of the center of NGC 5728.


HD 88836

HD 88836 is a double star in the southern constellation of Antlia. With an apparent magnitude of 6.35, it is faintly visible to the naked eye from dark skies. The brighter component is a giant star with a stellar classification of G8III. It is radiating energy at a luminosity 58 times that of the Sun. The faint companion is eight magnitudes dimmer than the primary and is located at an angular separation of 12.7″.


Gamma Cygni

Gamma Cygni (γ Cygni, abbreviated Gamma Cyg, γ Cyg), officially named Sadr , is a star in the northern constellation of Cygnus, forming the intersection of an asterism of five stars called the Northern Cross. Based upon parallax measurements obtained during the Hipparcos mission, it is approximately 1,800 light-years (560 parsecs) from the Sun.
It forms the primary or 'A' component of a multiple star system designated WDS J20222+4015 (the secondary or 'BC' component is CCDM J20222+4015BC, a close pair of stars 40" away from γ Cygni).
Nomenclature.
"γ Cygni" (Latinised to "Gamma Cygni") is the star's Bayer designation. WDS J20222+4015A is its designation in the Washington Double Star Catalog.
It bore the traditional name "Sadr" (also rendered "Sadir" or "Sador"), derived from the Arabic صدر "ṣadr" "chest", the same word which gave rise to the star Schedar (Alpha Cassiopeiae). In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalogue and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN decided to attribute proper names to individual stars rather than entire multiple systems. It approved the name "Sadr" for this star (WDS J20222+4015A) on 21 August 2016 and it is now so included in the List of IAU-approved Star Names.
In the catalogue of stars in the "Calendarium" of Al Achsasi al Mouakket, this star was designated "Sadr al Dedjadjet", (صدر الدجاجة / "ṣadr al-dajājati"), which was translated into Latin as "Pectus Gallinǣ", meaning "the hen's chest".
In Chinese, (), meaning "Celestial Ford", refers to an asterism consisting of Gamma Cygni, Delta Cygni, 30 Cygni, Alpha Cygni, Nu Cygni, Tau Cygni, Upsilon Cygni, Zeta Cygni and Epsilon Cygni. Consequently, the Chinese name for Gamma Cygni itself is (, ).
Properties.
With an apparent visual magnitude of 2.23, Gamma Cygni is among the brighter stars visible in the night sky. The stellar classification of this star is F8 Iab, indicating that it has reached the supergiant stage of its stellar evolution. Since 1943, the spectrum of this star has served as one of the stable anchor points by which other stars are classified.
Compared to the Sun this is an enormous star, with 12 times the Sun's mass and about 150 times the Sun's radius. It is emitting over 33,000 times as much energy as the Sun, at an effective temperature of 6,100 K in its outer envelope. This temperature is what gives the star the characteristic yellow-white hue of an F-type star. Massive stars such as this consume their nuclear fuel much more rapidly than the Sun, so the estimated age of this star is only about 12 million years old
The spectrum of this star shows some unusual dynamic features, including variations in radial velocity of up to , occurring on a time scale of 100 days or more. Indeed, on the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram, Gamma Cygni lies close to the instability strip and its spectrum is markedly like that of a Cepheid variable. This star is surrounded by a diffuse nebula called IC 1318, or the "Gamma Cygni region".


NGC 423

NGC 423 is a lenticular galaxy of type S0/a? located in the constellation Sculptor. It was discovered on November 14, 1835 by John Herschel. It was described by Dreyer as "extremely faint, small, extended, gradually a little brighter middle, eastern of 2.", the other being NGC 418.


Psi4 Aurigae

Psi4 Aurigae, Latinized from ψ4 Aurigae, is a single, orange-hued star in the northern constellation of Auriga. It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of +5.02. With an annual parallax shift of , it is approximately distant from Earth.
This is a K-type giant star with a stellar classification of K5 III. It has expanded to 33 times the Sun's radius and is radiating 245 times the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of about 3,970 K. The atmosphere displays a significant enhancement of silicon.


NGC 4980

NGC 4980 is a spiral galaxy in the southern constellation of Hydra. The shape of NGC 4980 appears slightly deformed, something which is often a sign of recent tidal interactions with another galaxy. In this galaxy's case, however, this appears not to be the case as there are no other galaxies in its immediate vicinity.


Little Ghost Nebula

Little Ghost Nebula, also known as NGC 6369, is a planetary nebula in the constellation Ophiuchus. It was discovered by William Herschel.
Round and planet-shaped, the nebula is also relatively faint. The high energy radiation from the central white dwarf causes the surrounding nebula to emit light. The nebula's main ring structure is about a light-year across and the glow from ionized oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen atoms are colored blue, green, and red respectively.
The Little Ghost Nebula should not be confused with the Ghost Nebula (Sh2-136) or the Ghost Head Nebula (NGC 2080).


Tau2 Capricorni

Tau2 Capricorni, Latinized from τ2 Capricorni, is a triple star system in the constellation Capricornus. It is approximately 1,100 light years from Earth based on parallax. The system has a blue-white hue and a combined apparent visual magnitude of +5.20. Because it is positioned near the ecliptic, τ2 Capricorni can be occulted by the Moon.
The primary, component A, is a B-type giant with a stellar classification of B6III and an apparent magnitude of +5.8. It has five times the mass of the Sun and is spinning rapidly with a projected rotational velocity of 170 km/s. The star is radiating 1,893 times the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 15,439 K.
At an angular separation of only 0.34 arcseconds is the companion, component B, a B-type subgiant star with a class of B6IV and an apparent magnitude of +6.3. These two stars orbit around their common centre of mass once every 420 years. A possible third component with an apparent magnitude of +9.5, detected by studying the star during occultation, is located 0.052 arcseconds away from the A component.


AK Pictoris

AK Pictoris is a star system in the constellation Pictor. Its combined apparent magnitude is 6.182. Based on the system's parallax, it is located 69 light-years (21.3 parsecs) away. AK Pictoris is a member of the AB Doradus moving group, a group of stars with similar motions that are thought to be associated.
AK Pictoris is a binary star. Its two stars orbit each other every 217.6 years, separated by 2.004″. The primary star is a G-type star with similar properties to the Sun. The secondary star is a K-type star. The primary star is a young BY Draconis variable, a class of variable stars that derive their variability from stellar rotation. It is also known to host a debris disk, inferred from its infrared excess.


24 Capricorni

24 Capricorni or A Capricorni is a single star in the southern constellation of Capricornus. This object is visible to the naked eye as a faint, red-hued star with an apparent visual magnitude of +4.49. It is approximately 460 light years from the Sun, based on parallax. The star is moving further from the Earth with a heliocentric radial velocity of +32 km/s.
This is an aging red giant, currently on the asymptotic giant branch, with a stellar classification of M1− III; a star that has exhausted the supply of hydrogen at its core and expanded to 54 times the Sun's radius. It is radiating 611 times the Sun's luminosity from its enlarged photosphere at an effective temperature of 3,903 K.
Chinese name.
In R. H. Allen's book, this star is described as having the name "Tsoo", representing the state of Chu. Bayer described it as one of the last three stars of the tail of the goat, although this is not how they appear in modern visual representations of the constellation


HR Carinae

HR Carinae is a luminous blue variable star located in the constellation Carina. It is surrounded by a vast nebula of ejected nuclear-processed material because this star has a multiple shell expanding atmosphere. This star is among the most luminous stars in the Milky Way. It has very broad emission wings on the Balmer lines, reminiscent from the broad lines observed in the spectra of O and Wolf–Rayet stars. A distance of 5 kpc and a bolometric magnitude of -9.4 put HR Car among the most luminous stars of the galaxy.
Discovery.
HR Carinae was first noticed at the start of the 20th century because of its Hβ emission. It was placed in Secchi class I, corresponding to modern A and F-type stars. It was catalogued in 1933 as a Be star and was discovered to be variable in 1940. A more detailed spectroscopic study gave it the type B2eq with emission line of hydrogen, helium, and ionised iron and P Cygni profiles on some lines.
By 1970, HR Carinae and the similar variable AG Carinae were recognised as being related to the P Cygni variables, unstable hot supergiants. The group was formally recognised as S Doradus variables to avoid confusion with the P Cygni spectral features shared with other types of star. HR Carinae became one of the best-studied examples of the class, clearly showing the brightness and spectral variations that came to characterise the stars known as luminous blue variables.
Brightness variation.
HR Carinae undergoes spectral variations apparently correlated with the light variations similarly to other luminous blue variables. It has undergone several outbursts during which the visual brightness increases and the temperature drops, but the bolometric luminosity remains approximately constant. The visual brightness increased erratically but consistently during the later decades of the 20th century to a record peak of mag 6.8, then dropped straight to a record minimum of mag 8.8 by 2010.
Characteristics.
HR Carinae has a temperature around when quiescent and the spectrum is of an early B hypergiant, but in outburst it cools to below .
HR Carinae is a lot like Eta Carinae, both luminous blue variables, and both surrounded by ejected material. HR Carinae is also likely to be a binary system with a similar separation, period, and ratio of component sizes to Eta Carinae. However, the Eta Carinae system is more massive and more luminous.
It has been identified as a possible type IIb supernova candidate in modelling of the fate of stars 20 to 25 times the mass of the Sun (with LBV status as the predicted final stage beforehand).
Binary system.
AMBER and PIONIER interferometry has shown that HR Carinae is a binary star system. The orbit is only weakly constrained but the most likely orbit has a semi-major axis of 3.3 mas, eccentricity of 0.4, and a period of 12.5 years. The possible orbits vary from nearly circular orbits of just a few years to highly eccentric orbits of several hundred years, all with the closest separation of the two stars at about 2 mas.
The companion appears to be larger than the primary LBV star, but much less bright. It is most likely a red supergiant with an angular diameter of , translating to a radius about , and also with a mass of and a temperature of 3,600–. The diameter of the primary star was also measured directly at , corresponding to a radius of at .


30 Vulpeculae

30 Vulpeculae is a binary star system in the northern constellation of Vulpecula, located mid-way between Epsilon Cygni and a diamond-shaped asterism in Delphinus. It is visible to the naked eye as a faint, orange-hued point of light with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.91. The system is located approximately 350 light years away from the Sun based on parallax, and is drifting further away with a mean radial velocity of +30 km/s. The system has a relatively high proper motion, traversing the celestial sphere at the rate of 0.186 arc seconds per annum.
The variable radial velocity of this system was announced in 1922 by W. W. Campbell. It is a single-lined spectroscopic binary system with an orbital period of and an eccentricity of 0.38. The value is , where "a" is the semimajor axis and "i" is the orbital inclination. This provides a lower bound on the true semimajor axis.
The visible component is an aging giant star with a stellar classification of K1 III and an estimated age of 4.20 billion years old. Having exhausted the supply of hydrogen at its core, the star has expanded to 22 times the Sun's radius. It has 1.55 times the mass of the Sun and is radiating 173 times the Sun's luminosity from its swollen photosphere at an effective temperature of 4,498 K.


S55 (star)

S55 (also known as S0–102) is a star that is located very close to the centre of the Milky Way, near the radio source Sagittarius A*, orbiting it with an orbital period of 12.8 years. Until 2019, when the star S62 became the new record holder, it was the star with the shortest known period orbiting the black hole at the centre of the Milky Way. This beat the record of 16 years previously set by S2. The star was identified by a University of California, Los Angeles team headed by Andrea M. Ghez. At its periapsis, its speed reaches 1.7% of the speed of light. At that point it is 246 astronomical units (34 light hours, 36.7 billion km) from the centre, while the black hole radius is only a small fraction of that size (the Schwarzschild radius is about ). It passed that point in 2009 and will be there again in 2022.
Its position in the sky has been monitored from 2000 to 2012 using the W. M. Keck telescope and from 2002 to 2016 with the VLT. One complete orbit has been observed. From Earth's current perspective, it travels in a clockwise direction. Having observed two stars orbiting through complete periods around the centre (S55 and S2), the gravitational potential of SgrA* could be established. It is also possible that there is a great deal of dark matter around the orbits of these stars. Also general relativistic effects due to gravitational redshift should become observable.


NGC 3254

NGC 3254 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Leo Minor. It was discovered on March 13, 1785 by the astronomer William Herschel.
In 1941, a supernova was detected within NGC 3254, and was designated SN 1941B.


DR 6

DR 6 is a cluster of stars in the Milky Way galaxy, composed of dust, gas, and about 10 large newborn stars, each roughly ten to twenty times the size of the Sun. It was discovered by astronomers at NASA with the Spitzer Space Telescope, viewing the nebula using infrared light.
The areas of the cluster that appear green are mainly composed of gas, while the parts that seem to be red are made of dust.
The DR 6 nebula is located about 3,900 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus. The center of the nebula, where the ten stars are located, is roughly 3.5 light-years long, roughly equivalent to the distance between our Sun and Alpha Centauri, the closest star to the Sun.
"Galactic Ghoul".
The DR 6 cluster is also nicknamed the "Galactic Ghoul" because of the nebula's resemblance to a human face; astronomers have described it as "some sort of freakish space face," emphasizing the cavity-like regions that look like eyes and a mouth. These large cavities are the result of "energetic light" and strong stellar wind that come from the ten stars in the center of the nebula (the part also known as the "nose").
Because of the nebula's spooky appearance, it was featured on the NASA website as the Astronomy Picture of the Day on All Hallows Eve, November 1, 2004.


Solarium (constellation)

Solarium (Latin for "sundial") was a constellation located between the constellations of Horologium, Dorado and Hydrus. It was introduced in 1822 on the "Celestial Atlas" of Alexander Jamieson, who substituted it for the constellation Reticulum invented by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille. A decade later it was picked up by Elijah Hinsdale Burritt to whom it is sometimes attributed. It was never popular and is no longer in use.


23 Orionis

23 Orionis is a double star located around 1,200 light years away from the Sun in the equatorial constellation of Orion. It is visible to the naked eye as a dim, blue-white hued point of light with a combined apparent visual magnitude of 4.99. The pair are moving away from the Earth with a heliocentric radial velocity of +18 km/s, and they are members of the Orion OB1 Association, subgroup 1a.
Howe and Clarke (2009) catalog this as a double-lined spectroscopic binary star system with a wide projected separation of . As of 2018, they had an angular separation of along a position angle of 30°. The brighter member, component A, is a B-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of B1V. The secondary, component B, is of class B3V. Both stars are spinning rapidly.


Theta Draconis

Theta Draconis, a name Latinized from θ Draconis, is a binary star system in the northern circumpolar constellation of Draco. It is faintly visible to the naked eye at night with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.12. Parallax measurements place it at an estimated distance of from the Sun, and it is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −8 km/s. It has a relatively high proper motion, traversing the celestial sphere at the rate of per year. O. J. Eggen included this star as a member of the NGC 1901 supercluster based on its space motion.
The binary nature of this system was discovered by W. W. Campbell in 1899, and the first set of orbital elements was published by H. D. Curtis in 1907. It is a single-lined spectroscopic binary in a close orbit with a period of 3.07 days and an eccentricity (ovalness) of 0.04. The secondary component has been resolved in the infrared H band, allowing an estimation of the mass ratio as . Some velocity variation of K1 was observed by M. Mayor and T. Mazeh in 1987, which is suggestive of a tertiary component to the system.
The primary component is a solar-type star that at various times has been assigned stellar classifications of F9 V and F8IV-V. The star is about two billion years old and is spinning with a projected rotational velocity of 31 km/s. It has a high metallicity (heavy element abundances) with around 20% more mass than the Sun and nearly three times the Sun's radius. The star displays no chromospheric emission and may be on or entering the subgiant stage. Because of the close orbit, it could be filling up to 60% of its Roche lobe. The star is radiating ten times the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of .
Chinese name.
In Chinese, (), meaning "Left Wall of Purple Forbidden Enclosure", refers to an asterism consisting of θ Draconis, ι Draconis, η Draconis, ζ Draconis, υ Draconis, 73 Draconis, γ Cephei and 23 Cassiopeiae. Consequently, the Chinese name for θ Draconis itself is (, .), representing (), meaning "The First Premier". 上宰 (Shǎngzǎi) is westernized into "Shang Tsae" by R.H. Allen with meaning "the Minor Steward" but it was for η Dra (Aldibain).


MZ Puppis

MZ Puppis is a red supergiant star in the constellation of Puppis. It has a calculated radius of .


NGC 3749

NGC 3749 is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation of Centaurus at an approximate distance of 130.52 million light-years. NGC 3749 was discovered in 1835 by John Herschel.


27 Lyncis

27 Lyncis is a single star in the northern constellation of Lynx. It is visible to the naked eye as a faint, white-hued star with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.78. This object is located around 250 light years away from the Sun, as determine from parallax measurements. It is moving further from the Sun with a heliocentric radial velocity of +11 km/s.
This is an ordinary A-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of A2 V, which indicates it is generating energy through hydrogen fusion at its core. It is 157 million years old and is spinning with a projected rotational velocity of 183. The star has 2.24 times the mass of the Sun and is radiating 65 times the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 10,014 K. X-ray emission is being detected near these coordinates, which may be coming from an undetected companion or a background source.


W Centauri

The designations W Centauri and w Centauri refer to two different stars in the constellation Centaurus.
See also.
ω Centauri


7 Vulpeculae

7 Vulpeculae is a binary star system approximately 940 light years away in the northern constellation of Vulpecula. It is a challenge to view with the naked eye, having an apparent visual magnitude of 6.34. The system is moving closer to the Earth with a heliocentric radial velocity of −38 km/s.
This is a single-lined spectroscopic binary star system with an orbital period of 69.3 days and an eccentricity of 0.16. The visible component is a Be star with a stellar classification of B4–5 III–IVe that appears to be nearing the end of its main sequence lifetime. It shows a rapid rotation rate with a projected rotational velocity of 300 km/s, which is just below the estimated critical velocity of 367 km/s.
There is a small variability in the magnitude of this star that occurs over 0.559 days this is likely the rotation period of the primary star.
The nature of the companion is unknown, but based upon its mass it may be a K- or M-type star. However, it could be a white dwarf that has previously undergone a mass transfer event with the now visible component. Because of the lack of X-ray emission from the system, a third possibility is that the companion is a naked He star that has been stripped of its hydrogen envelope.


40 Aurigae

40 Aurigae is a binary star in the constellation Auriga. Its apparent magnitude is 5.345, meaning it can just barely be seen with the naked eye. Based on parallax estimates made by the Hipparcos spacecraft, the system is located some 340 light-years (104 parsecs) away.
40 Aurigae is a spectroscopic binary, meaning the two stars are too close to be individually resolved, but periodic Doppler shifts in their spectra indicate there must be orbital motion. In this case, light from both stars can be detected and it is a double-lined spectroscopic binary. The two have an orbital period of 28.28 days and a fairly high eccentricity of 0.56. The primary star is an A-type main-sequence star and shows unusual absorption lines in its spectrum, so it is an Am star with an effective temperature of 7,838 K.


HD 45364

HD 45364 is a star in the southern constellation of Canis Major. It is too faint to be visible to the naked eye, having an apparent visual magnitude of 8.08. The distance to this system is 112 light years based on parallax. It is drifting further away from the Sun with a radial velocity of +16.4 km/s, having come within some 1.5 million years ago.
This object is an ordinary G-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of G8V, which indicates it is generating energy through core hydrogen fusion. It is around 3.4 billion years old and is spinning with a projected rotational velocity of 1.7 km/s. The star has 88% of the mass of the Sun and 82% of the Sun's radius. It is radiating 56% of the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 5,540 K. As of August 2008 there are two confirmed extrasolar planets (or exoplanets) orbiting around it.
Planetary system.
HD 45364 is one of only a relative few systems that have had more than one exoplanet discovered in its orbit. The two planets, HD 45364 b and HD 45364 c respectively, were both discovered in August 2008 using the radial velocity method. The pair are orbiting the host star with a 3:2 mean motion resonance, which means the inner planet is completing three orbits for every two orbits of the outer planet.
Formation scenario.
A detailed analysis of the formation scenario revealed that the previously reported orbital configuration might not be correct. The eccentricities are a factor of 4-5 too large to be consistent with standard planet formation theories. This is the first time that planet formation theory was able to predict new orbital parameters of a planetary system. There are other proposed scenario, in which remains the resonant configuration of the planetary system


NGC 4586

NGC 4586 is a spiral galaxy located about 50 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. The galaxy was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on February 2, 1786. Although listed in the Virgo Cluster Catalog, NGC 4586 is considered to be a member of the Virgo II Groups which form a southern extension of the Virgo cluster. NGC 4586 is currently in the process of infalling into the Virgo Cluster and is predicted to enter the cluster in about 500 million years.
Boxy/Peanut bulge.
NGC 4586 has a boxy or peanut-shaped bulge. The bulge has been interpreted to be a bar viewed edge-on.


Iota Piscium

Iota Piscium (Iota Psc, ι Piscium, ι Psc) is single, F-type main-sequence star located 45 light years from Earth, in the constellation Pisces. Its spectral type is F7V, which means that it is somewhat larger and brighter than the Sun, but still within the range considered to have the potential for Earth-like planets. It has a surface temperature of about 6,000 to 7,500 K. Iota Piscium is a suspected to be a variable star, and was once thought to have one or two stellar companions, but both are line-of-sight coincidences. It displays a far-infrared excess at a wavelength of 70μm, suggesting it is being orbited by a cold debris disk.
Naming.
In Chinese, (), meaning "Thunderbolt", refers to an asterism consisting of ι Piscium, β Piscium, γ Piscium, θ Piscium, and ω Piscium. Consequently, the Chinese name for ι Piscium itself is (, .)


Kepler-66

Kepler-66 is a star with slightly more mass than the Sun in the NGC 6811 open cluster in the Cygnus constellation. It has one confirmed planet, slightly smaller than Neptune, announced in 2013.


NGC 6256

NGC 6256 is a globular cluster located in the constellation Scorpius. It is designated as GCL in the galaxy morphological classification scheme and was discovered by the Scottish astronomer James Dunlop on 24 June 1834. It is about 33,600 light years away from earth.<ref name="NASA/IPAC"></ref>


Stomach (Chinese constellation)

The Stomach mansion (胃宿, pinyin: Wèi Xiù) is one of the twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the western mansions of the White Tiger.


64 Aurigae

64 Aurigae is a single star located 312 light years away from the Sun in the northern constellation of Auriga. It is visible to the naked eye as a dim, white-hued star with an apparent magnitude of 5.87. The star is moving closer to the Earth with a heliocentric radial velocity of −10, and may come to within in around 5.3 million years. It is a member of the Sirius supercluster.
This object is an ordinary A-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of 5 Vn, where the 'n' notation is used to indicate "nebulous" lines in the spectrum caused by rapid rotation. It is 291 million years old with a projected rotational velocity of 212 km/s. The star has 1.67 times the mass of the Sun and is radiating 27 times the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 8,014 K.


NGC 4630

NGC 4630 is an irregular galaxy located about 54 million light-years away in the constellation of Virgo. NGC 4630 was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on February 2, 1786. NGC 4630 is part of the Virgo II Groups which form a southern extension of the Virgo Cluster.


V Coronae Borealis

V Coronae Borealis (V CrB) is a Mira-type long period variable star and carbon star in the constellation Corona Borealis. Its apparent magnitude varies between 6.9 and 12.6 over a period of 357 days
V Coronae Borealis is too far from Earth for its parallax to be measured effectively. Basing on a period of 357 days, the absolute magnitude of V Coronae Borealis has been calculated to be -4.62. It was estimated to around 8810 light-years distant in a 2012 paper, shining with a luminosity approximately 102831 times that of the Sun and has a surface temperature of 2877 K.


NGC 957

NGC 957 (also known as Collinder 28) is a loosely bound open cluster located in the constellation Perseus. It has an apparent magnitude of 7.6 and an approximate size of 11 arc-minutes.
Location.
NGC 957 lies 1.5º WNW of NGC 884, which itself is part of the larger Double Cluster. The stars Gamma Persei and Eta Persei point in the general direction of the open cluster.


HD 73267

HD 73267 is a star in the southern constellation Pyxis, near the western constellation border with Puppis. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 8.889 and can be viewed with a small telescope. The distance to HD 73267 is 165 light years based on parallax, and it is drifting further away with a radial velocity of +51.8 km/s. It has an absolute magnitude of 5.24.
This object is a G-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of G5V. It is roughly eight billion years old with a near-solar metallicity and is spinning with a projected rotational velocity of 1.65 km/s, giving it a rotation period of around 33 days. The star has 90% of the mass and size of the Sun. It is radiating 78% of the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 5387 K.
Planetary system.
In October 2008, a candidate planet was discovered orbiting this star. This object was detected using the radial velocity method by search programs conducted using the HARPS spectrograph. Subsequent analysis of collected data suggests the presence of an additional long-period planet in the system with at least 83% of the mass of Jupiter.


NGC 7057

NGC 7057 is an elliptical galaxy located about 230 million light-years away in the constellation of Microscopium. NGC 7057 was discovered by astronomer John Herschel on September 2, 1836.
Group Membership.
NGC 7057 is member of a group of galaxies known as the NGC 7060 group. Other members of the group are NGC 7060, NGC 7072 and NGC 7072A.


IC 2574

IC 2574, also known as Coddington's Nebula, is a dwarf spiral galaxy discovered by American astronomer Edwin Foster Coddington in 1898. Located in Ursa Major, a constellation in the northern sky, it is an outlying member of the M81 Group. It is believed that 90% of its mass is in the form of dark matter.


NGC 5408

NGC 5408 is an irregular galaxy in the constellation Centaurus. It was discovered by John Herschel on June 5, 1834.
Galaxy group information.
NGC 5408 is located near the M83 Subgroup of the Centaurus A/M83 Group, a relatively nearby group of galaxies. However, it is unclear as to whether NGC 5408 is part of the group.


HD 76805

H Velorum is a triple star in the constellation Vela, at a distance of approximately .
A visual pair of stars with magnitudes 4.7 and 8.0 are separated by . Their estimated orbital period is 646,000 years. The primary is a spectroscopic binary with two B-class main sequence stars in a 1.1-day orbit.


Gamma Piscium

Gamma Piscium (Gamma Psc, γ Piscium, γ Psc) is a star approximately 138 light years away from Earth, in the zodiac constellation of Pisces. It is a yellow star with a spectral type of G8 III, meaning it has a surface temperature of 4,833 K and is a giant star. It is slightly cooler than the Sun, yet it is 11 solar radii in size and shines with the light of 63 Suns. At an apparent magnitude of 3.7, it is the second brightest star in the constellation Pisces, between Eta and Alpha. Once a white A2 star, it is 5.5 billion years old.
Gamma Piscium moves across the sky at three-quarters of an arcsecond per year, which at 138 light years corresponds to 153 kilometers per second. This suggests it is a visitor from another part of the Milky Way Galaxy; in astronomical terms, it will quickly leave the vicinity of the Sun. Its metallicity is only one-fourth that of the Sun, and visitors from outside the thin disk that composes the Milky Way tend to be metal-poor. Gamma Piscium lies inside an asterism known as the "circlet of Pisces."
Naming.
In Chinese, (), meaning "Thunderbolt", refers to an asterism consisting of γ Piscium, β Piscium, θ Piscium, ι Piscium and ω Piscium. Consequently, the Chinese name for γ Piscium itself is (, .)
In fiction.
In Frank Herbert's "Dune" series, Gamma "Waiping" (The Chinese name for Pisces) is the home system of Imperial House Corrino.


Pi Sagittarii

Pi Sagittarii (π Sagittarii, abbreviated Pi Sgr, π Sgr) is a triple star system in the zodiac constellation of Sagittarius. It has an apparent visual magnitude of +2.89, bright enough to be readily seen with the naked eye. Based upon parallax measurements, it is roughly from the Sun.
The three components are designated Pi Sagittarii A (officially named Albaldah , from the traditional name of the entire system), B and C.
Nomenclature.
"π Sagittarii" (Latinised to "Pi Sagittarii") is the system's Bayer designation. The designations of the three constituents as "Pi Sagittarii A", "B" and "C", derive from the convention used by the Washington Multiplicity Catalog (WMC) for multiple star systems, and adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
The system bore the traditional name "Albaldah", which comes from the Arabic بلدة "bálda" 'the town'. In 2016, the IAU organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN decided to attribute proper names to individual stars rather than entire multiple systems. It approved the name "Albaldah" for the component Pi Sagittarii A on 5 September 2017 and it is now so included in the List of IAU-approved Star Names.
In the catalogue of stars in the "Calendarium" of Al Achsasi al Mouakket, this star was designated "Nir al Beldat", which was translated into Latin as "Lucida Oppidi", meaning 'the brightest of the town'.
This system, together with Zeta Sagittarii and Sigma Sagittarii may have been the Akkadian "Gu-shi-rab‑ba", 'the Yoke of the Sea'.
In Chinese, (), meaning "Establishment", refers to an asterism consisting of Pi Sagittarii, Xi² Sagittarii, Omicron Sagittarii, 43 Sagittarii, Ro¹ Sagittarii and Upsilon Sagittarii. Consequently,the Chinese name for Pi Sagittarii itself is (, .)
Properties.
The spectrum of the system's primary, Pi Sagitarii A, matches a stellar classification of F2 II. The 'II' luminosity class is for a bright giant star that has exhausted the hydrogen at its core and has followed an evolutionary track away from the main sequence of stars like the Sun. Because it has nearly six times the mass of the Sun, it reached this stage in a mere 67 million years. The outer envelope is radiating energy at an effective temperature of about 6,590 K, giving it the yellow-white hue of an F-type star.
Pi Sagittarii A has two nearby companions. The first is separated by 0.1 arcseconds, or at least 13 AUs. The second is 0.4 arcseconds away, which is 40 AU or more. Nothing is known about the orbits of these stars.
Being 1.43 degrees north of the ecliptic, Pi Sagittarii can be occulted by the Moon, and, very rarely, by planets. The next occultation by a planet will be by Venus on February 17, 2035.


NGC 3274

NGC 3274 is a relatively faint spiral galaxy discovered by Wilhelm Herschel in 1783, and is located over 20 million light-years away in the constellation of Leo.


Kepler-38

Kepler-38 is a binary star system of constellation Lyra. These stars, called Kepler-38A and Kepler-38B have masses of 95% and 25% solar masses respectively. The brighter star is spectral class G while the secondary has spectral class M. They are separated by 0.147 AU, and complete an eccentric orbit around a common center of mass every 18.8 days.
Planetary system.
In 2012, a circumbinary Neptune-sized planet was found transiting the brighter star. Follow-up radial velocity measurements did not give sufficient information to constrain the mass of the planet. The planet was confirmed via transit duration variation method.
It is likely that additional planets in the habitable zone exist, including rocky terrestrial planets, according to simulations of the formation of the Kepler-38 system; furthermore, the orbits of any such planets are probably stable.


HD 95370

HD 95370 is a single star in the southern constellation of Vela. With an apparent visual magnitude of 4.37, it can be viewed with the naked eye. The distance to this star can be determined from its annual parallax shift of , yielding a value of 190 light years. It is moving closer to the Earth with a heliocentric radial velocity of −3.5 km/s.
According to Houk (1978), this is an A-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of A3 V. However, Levato (1972) listed a class of A3 IV, which may suggest it is instead a more evolved subgiant star. It is 548 million years years old with a high projected rotational velocity of 115 km/s, giving it an oblate shape with an equatorial bulge that is 5% larger than the polar radius. HD 95370 has double the mass of the Sun and 2.6 times the Sun's radius. It is radiating 55 times the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 8,696 K.


36 Lyncis

36 Lyncis is a solitary variable star located around 570 light years away from the Sun in the northern constellation of Lynx. It has the variable star designation of EI Lyncis, while "36 Lyncis" is the Flamsteed designation. This object is visible to the naked eye as a dim, blue-white hued star with an apparent visual magnitude of 5.30. It is moving further away from the Earth with a heliocentric radial velocity of 21 km/s.
This is a magnetic, helium-weak Bp star with a stellar classification of B8 IIImnp. It is sometimes classified as a mercury-manganese star. It is also an 'sn' star, displaying a spectrum with generally sharp lines for most elements in combination with broad, diffuse lines of helium. 36 Lyncis has been classified as an SX Arietis variable with an amplitude of 0.03 in visual magnitude and a rotationally-modulated period of 3.834 days. The star is spinning with a projected rotational velocity of 49 km/s and a rotation rate of 3.83476 days. It has 4.21 times the Sun's radius and is radiating 443 times the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 13,700 K.


50 Cassiopeiae

50 Cassiopeiae is a white star in the northern constellation of Cassiopeia. In the past, it had been misidentified as a suspected nebula, and given the number NGC 771. The star is visible to the naked eye, having an apparent visual magnitude of +3.95. Based upon an annual parallax shift of , it is located 157 light years away. It is moving closer, having a heliocentric radial velocity of −18 km/s, and will approach to within in 1.879 million years.
It is an A-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of A2 V. It is a suspected variable star with a very small amplitude. 50 Cas has an estimated 2.56 times the mass of the Sun, and about 2.5 times the Sun's radius. It is radiating 64 times the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of around 9,376 K.
The star was the brightest star in the occasionally used 1775 to 19th century constellation Custos Messium, typically drawn as a depiction of Charles Messier standing on top of the giraffe (Camelopardus), between Cepheus and Cassiopeia.


AM Herculis

AM Herculis is a binary variable star located in the constellation Hercules. This star, along with the star "AN Ursae Majoris", is the prototype for a category of cataclysmic variable stars called "polars", or "AM Her" type stars.
History.
AM Herculis was first cataloged in 1923 by Max Wolf and was listed at the time as "Veränderlicher 28.1923", which is now "AN 28.1923" in the "General Catalogue of Variable Stars". It was observed to be an irregular variable star ranging from 12 to 14 in apparent magnitude. In 1976, the astronomer S. Tapia discovered that light from the star is both linearly and circularly polarized, showing that there was a strong magnetic field surrounding the system and revealing that the system was more complex than previously thought.
System.
The AM Herculis binary system contains a white dwarf and a red dwarf. The white dwarf is accreting material directly from the red dwarf without an accretion disk. The white dwarf primary is highly magnetic and the infalling material is channelled towards the magnetic poles. The accretion rate is unstable, at times decreasing dramatically and reducing the brightness of the whole system. There are also periodic variations thought to be caused by the appearance and eclipse of the accreting regions during rotation of the white dwarf.


89 Leonis

89 Leonis is a single star in the equatorial constellation of Leo, the lion. It has a yellow-white hue and is faintly visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 5.70. Based upon parallax measurements, it is located at a distance of 88 light years from the Sun. The star has a high proper motion and is moving further away with a radial velocity of +4.8 km/s. It is a candidate member of the TW Hydra stellar kinematic group.
This is an F-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of F5.5V. It is an estimated 1.13 billion years old and is spinning with a rotation period of 7.73 days. It shows evidence of a short-term activity cycle lasting  days. The star has 1.3 times the mass of the Sun and 1.4 times the Sun's radius. It is radiating three times the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 6,461 K.


Iota Ophiuchi

ι Ophiuchi, Latinized as Iota Ophiuchi, is a single star in the equatorial constellation of Ophiuchus, positioned near the constellation border with Hercules. It makes a naked-eye double with nearby Kappa Ophiuchi, appearing as a faint, blue-white hued star with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.39. The star is approximately 245 light years from the Sun based on parallax, but is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −19 km/s.
This object is a B-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of B8V. It is an estimated 217 million years old with a moderately high rate of spin, showing a projected rotational velocity of 124 km/s. The star has 3.1 times the mass of the Sun and around 2.8 times the Sun's radius. Iota Ophiuchi is radiating 141 times the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 11,220 K. It displays an infrared excess, suggesting the presence of circumstellar material.


B Centauri

B Centauri is a single star in the southern constellation of Centaurus. It has the identifier "HD 102964" in the "Henry Draper catalogue"; "B Centauri" is the star's Bayer designation. This object has an orange hue and is faintly visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of +4.47. The star is located at a distance of approximately 440 light years from the Sun based on parallax, and has an absolute magnitude of −1.14.
This object is an aging giant star with a stellar classification of K3III, indicating the star has exhausted the supply of hydrogen at its core then cooled and expanded off the main sequence. At present it has 39 times the girth of the Sun. It is radiating 480 times the luminosity of the Sun from its enlarged photosphere at an effective temperature of 4,325 K.


Phi Velorum

Phi Velorum (φ Vel, φ Velorum) is a star in the constellation Vela. It is a blue-white B-type supergiant with an apparent magnitude of +3.53. It is approximately 1,590 light years from Earth.
Nomenclature.
φ Velorum (Latinised to Phi Velorum, abbreviated to φ Vel) is the Bayer designation for this star. It is also listed as HR 3940 in the Bright Star Catalogue and HD 86440 in the Henry Draper Catalogue. It has the traditional name Tseen Ke, from Chinese 天紀 (Mandarin "tiānjì)" "star chart". (lit. "Record of Heaven").
Properties.
φ Velorum has a temperature of 14,600 K. Combined with a radius of , it has a luminosity of . It has exhausted its core hydrogen and left the main sequence to become a supergiant. It has a current mass of about .
Companion.
φ Velorum has an optical companion 39" away. It is a 12th magnitude K0 giant star.


Chi2 Orionis

Chi2 Orionis (Chi2 Ori / χ2 Orionis / χ2 Ori) is a B-type supergiant star in the constellation of Orion. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 4.63 but being quite distant, and heavily extinguished it burns with the greatest absolute visual light magnitude among stars in Orion within the near reaches of the galaxy, 0.9 of a magnitude greater than Rigel. Since 1943, the spectrum of this star has served as one of the stable anchor points by which other stars are classified.
In apparent brightness it ranks, within Orion, admitting the higher published mean brightness of much more variable stars ranked above it, 35th.
Chi1 Orionis is an unrelated, yellow, main sequence star over two degrees away.
Spectrum.
χ2 Orionis has a B2 bright supergiant spectrum and is one of the standard B2 Ia stars. It has been reported as having unusually narrow absorption lines and some weak emission lines and was included as one of the original Be stars. It is no longer treated as a Be star since many supergiants show some emission features at high resolution and Be stars is usually defined to exclude supergiants.
Variability.
χ2 Orionis was listed as having likely small amplitude variability in photometry for the Third Catalogue of Stars measured in the Geneva Observatory Photometric System, specifically varying by 22 thousandths of a magnitude. It was included in the General Catalogue of Variable Stars based on Hipparcos satellite photometry with a magnitude range (in the Hipparchos photometric system) of 4.68 - 4.72 and a period of 2.8 days. A detailed study of the Hipparcos photometry confirmed the star as an α Cyg variable and gave the amplitude of variation as 0.057 magnitudes.


M Velorum

The Bayer designations m Velorum and M Velorum are distinct. Due to , both designations link here. For the star


Psi Sagittarii

Psi Sagittarii, which is Latinized from ψ Sagittarii, is a triple star system in the zodiac constellation of Sagittarius. The star system is located at a distance of 298 light years from the Earth based on parallax, but is drifting closer with a heliocentric radial velocity of −12 km/s. The system is faintly visible to the naked eye has a combined apparent visual magnitude of +4.86.
The inner pair of this triple star system, components Ba and Bb, have an orbital period of 10.78 days and an eccentricity of 0.47. The pair consist of an A-type giant and a less evolved A-type main-sequence star with stellar classifications of A9 III + A3 V, respectively. These in turn share an orbit with the primary, component A, having a period of 20 years and an eccentricity of 0.51. The last is an orange-hued K-type giant with a class of K2 III.
Name and etymology.
According to the catalogue of stars in the "Technical Memorandum 33-507 - A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars", this star was titled as Al Kiladah. This star, together with τ Sgr, ν Sgr, ω Sgr, 60 Sgr and ζ Sgr were "Al Udḥiyy", the Ostrich's Nest.


NGC 232

NGC 232 is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Cetus. It was discovered in 1886 by Francis Leavenworth.


DV Aquarii

DV Aquarii is a binary star system in the zodiac constellation of Aquarius. It has a peak apparent visual magnitude of 5.89, which is bright enough to be visible to the naked eye. The distance can be estimated from its annual parallax shift of , yielding a separation of 291 light years.
This is a detached eclipsing binary system of the Beta Lyrae type. The orbital period for the system is 1.5755 days and the eccentricity is unknown and probably non-zero; the orbital inclination is estimated to be . During the primary eclipse the magnitude drops to 6.25. It descends to 6.10 with the secondary eclipse (with 6.10 being brighter than 6.25). The pair have been identified as candidate Herbig Ae/Be stars, and catalogued as A-type shell stars.
A magnitude 10.8 star with the designation HD 358087 is a common proper motion companion. It is located at an angular separation of and has 78% of the Sun's mass. If it is gravitationally bound to the main system, the orbital period is estimated to be around 611,855 years


HD 99922

HD 99922 is a double star system in the constellation of Crater. It shines with an apparent visual magnitude of 5.77 from a distance of about 450 light years (140 parsecs) away from the Earth. The primary star is an A-type main sequence star; the secondary star is located about 8 arcseconds away.
Other designations include HR 4428 and HIP 56078.


Lambda Hydrae

λ Hydrae, Latinised as Lambda Hydrae, is a spectroscopic binary star in the constellation Hydra. Its apparent magnitude is 3.61 Located around distant. The spiral galaxy NGC 3145 is only away to the southwest.
The primary is an orange giant of spectral type K0IIICN+1, a star that has used up its core hydrogen, left the main sequence, and expanded into a giant. It is considered to be a red clump giant, a cool horizontal branch star that is burning helium in its core.
λ Hydrae has two visual companions, components B and C, 11th and 13th magnitude stars respectively and away.


Iota Reticuli

ι Reticuli, Latinized as Iota Reticuli, is a solitary, orange-hued star in the southern constellation of Reticulum. It is faintly visible to the naked eye, having a combined apparent visual magnitude of +4.97. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 10.22 mas as seen from Earth, it is located around 319 light years from the Sun. At present it is receding from the Sun with a radial velocity of +61 km/s, having come closest to the Sun 883,000 years ago at a distance of 212 light years. Iota Reticuli is moving through the Galaxy at a speed of 80.9 km/s relative to the Sun. Its projected Galactic orbit carries it between 12,300 and 25,100 light years from the center of the Galaxy.
This is an evolved K-type giant star with a stellar classification of K4 III. Having exhausted the supply of hydrogen at its core, the star cooled and expanded off the main sequence; at present it has 24 times the girth of the Sun. It is radiating 180 times the luminosity of the Sun from its swollen photosphere at an effective temperature of 4,290 K.


EW Aquarii

EW Aquarii, or HR 8102, is a variable star in the equatorial constellation of Aquarius. With an apparent visual magnitude that fluctuates around 6.47, it is a dim star near the lower limit of visibility to the naked eye. The star is located at a distance of approximately 439 light years from the Sun based on parallax, but is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −39 km/s. The star is positioned near the ecliptic and thus is subject to lunar occultations. It may be a member of the Hyades Group.
In 1969, HR 8102 was flagged as a suspected metal-lined Delta Delphini star and was catalogued as such. During a search for ultra-short period Cepheid variables in 1974, this star was found to vary in brightness and was determined to be a low amplitude Delta Scuti variable. In 1977, it was catalogued in the 62nd name-list of variable stars with the designation EW Aqr. The star varies between magnitudes 6.41 and 6.48 with a primary period of 2.16 hours. There are three known variation periods of 0.09664, 0.1087, and 0.2121 days with amplitudes of 0.013, 0.010, and 0.007 magnitudes, respectively. The pattern of variations indicate it is a non-radial pulsator.
The stellar classification of EW Aqr is , indicating an F-type Am star of the Delta Delphini type. It has 2.2 times the mass of the Sun and four times the Sun's radius. The star has a high rate of spin, showing a projected rotational velocity of 134 km/s. On average, it is radiating 37 times the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 7,640 K.


K2-24

K2-24 (also known as EPIC 203771098) is a metal-rich G3-type main sequence star larger and more massive than the sun, located away in the constellation Scorpius. Two confirmed transiting exoplanets are known to orbit this star. An attempt to detect stellar companions using adaptive optics imaging at the Keck telescope was negative however later observations using lucky imaging at the Danish 1.54 m telescope at La Silla Observatory detected a possible companion at 3.8 arcseconds distance from K2-24. This candidate companion being over 8 magnitudes fainter than K2-24 and with a color temperature of , is inconsistent with a bound main sequence companion.
Planetary system.
Discovery.
Erik A. Petigura and team analyzed data obtained from the Kepler space telescope during its observation of the K2 Campaign 2 field. They reported the discovery and confirmation of both planets b and c. The Planetary signals were independently detected by Andrew Vanderburg and collaborators.
Characteristics.
The two known planets in this system have radii equal to 5.4 and 7.5 times that of the Earth. This places both planets radii between that of Uranus and Saturn, a range not present within the solar system. With orbital periods of 20.9 days and 42.4 days, the planets are within 1% of the 2:1 mean-motion resonance. The low observed eccentricities and near orbital resonance provide evidence regarding the formation and evolution of the system, suggesting that they could possibly have resulted from gravitational interactions with a protoplanetary disk. K2-24c at 15.4 earth masses is significantly lighter than K2-24b's 19 earth masses despite being a larger planet. It is estimated that K2-24b's atmosphere makes up 26% of its mass while K2-24c's atmosphere makes up 52%. The current model of core-nucleated accretion predicts that runaway accretion should occur when a planet reaches approximately 50% atmosphere by mass, this makes K2-24c a potential challenge to the model.


36 Ursae Majoris

36 Ursae Majoris is a double star in the northern constellation of Ursa Major. With an apparent visual magnitude of 4.82, it can be seen with the naked eye in suitable dark skies. Based upon parallax measurements, this star lies at a distance of from Earth.
This star is a solar analog—meaning it has physical properties that make it similar to the Sun. It has 12% more mass and a radius 15% larger than the Sun, with an estimated age of 2.7 billion years. The spectrum of this star matches a stellar classification of F8 V, which indicates this is a main sequence star that is generating energy at its core through the nuclear fusion of hydrogen. The energy is being radiated into space from its outer envelope at an effective temperature of 6,126 K. This gives the star the characteristic yellow-white hue of an F-type star.
36 Ursae Majoris has a magnitude 8.86 common proper motion companion with about half this star's mass at an angular separation of 122.5″ along a position angle of 303°, as of 2012. A second companion with a magnitude of 11.44 is located at an angular separation of 240.6″ along a position angle of 292°, as of 2004.
Hunt for substellar objects.
According to Nelson & Angel (1998), 36 Ursae Majoris could host one or two (or at least three) jovian planets (or even brown dwarfs) at wide separations from the host star, with orbital periods of 10–15, 25 and 50 years respectively. The authors have set upper limits of 1.1–2, 5.3 and 24 Jupiter masses for the putative planetary objects. Also Lippincott (1983) had previously noticed the possible presence of a massive unseen companion (with nearly 70 times the mass of Jupiter, just below the stellar regime, thus a brown dwarf). Putative parameters for the substellar object show an orbital period of 18 years and quite a high eccentricity (e=0.8).
Even Campbell et al. 1988 inferred the existence of planetary objects or even brown dwarfs less massive than 14 Jupiter masses around 36 Ursae Majoris.
Nevertheless, no certain planetary companion has yet been detected or confirmed. The McDonald Observatory team has set limits to the presence of one or more planets with masses between 0.13 and 2.5 Jupiter masses and average separations spanning between 0.05 and 5.2 AU.
An infrared excess has been detected around this star, most likely indicating the presence of a circumstellar disk at a radius of 38.6 AU. The temperature of this dust is 50 K.


Delta Piscis Austrini

Delta Piscis Austrini (δ Piscis Austrini) is a yellow-hued star in the southern constellation of Piscis Austrinus. It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of +4.175. There is a magnitude 9.86 common proper motion companion located at an angular separation of 5.2 arc seconds – the pair most likely form a binary star system. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 18.9796 mas as seen from the Gaia satellite, Delta Piscis Austrini is located 172 ± 2 light-years from the Sun.
The primary, component A, is an evolved G-type giant star with a stellar classification of G8 III. At the age of about 3.74 billion years it is a red clump star, which indicates it is generating energy through helium fusion at its core. The star has an estimated 1.42 times the mass of the Sun and it radiates 52 times the solar luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 4.828 K.
Delta Piscis Austrini is moving through the Galaxy at a speed of 13.8 km/s relative to the Sun. Its projected Galactic orbit carries it between 24,000 and 35,300 light years from the center of the Galaxy. It will come closest to the Sun 2.8 million years from now when it will brighten to magnitude 2.87 from a distance of 83 light years.
Chinese name.
The Chinese name for Delta Piscis Austrini is () meaning "Materials for Making Tents", because this star is marking itself and stand alone in "Materials for Making Tents" asterism, Encampment mansion (see : Chinese constellation). 天綱 (Tiān Gāng) westernized into Tien Kang, meaning "the Heavenly Rope" in R.H. Allen's work, but the name is for the asterism consisting this star, β PsA and ζ PsA.


Mu Arae e

Mu Arae e, also known as HD 160691 e, later named Sancho , is one of the four extrasolar planets orbiting the star Mu Arae of the constellation Ara.
In July 2014 the International Astronomical Union launched a process for giving proper names to certain exoplanets and their host stars. The process involved public nomination and voting for the new names. In December 2015, the IAU announced the winning name was Sancho for this planet. The winning name was submitted by the Planetario de Pamplona, Spain. Sancho was the squire of the lead character of the novel "El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha".
The planet's discovery was announced on June 13, 2002. Mu Arae e is a gas giant at least 1.8 times as massive as Jupiter. The planet orbits at Jupiter-like distance at 5.235 AU.


Xi Geminorum

Xi Geminorum (ξ Geminorum, abbreviated Xi Gem, ξ Gem), formally named Alzirr , is a star in the zodiac constellation of Gemini. It forms one of the four feet of the outline demarcating the Gemini twins. The star has an apparent visual magnitude of 3.35, which is bright enough for it to be seen with the naked eye. From stellar parallax measurements, its distance from the Sun can be estimated as .
Nomenclature.
"ξ Geminorum" (Latinised to "Xi Geminorum") is the star's Bayer designation.
It bore the traditional name of "Al Zirr" or "Alzirr", from the Arabic الزِرّ "al-zirr" "the button". In 2016, the IAU organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN approved the name "Alzirr" for this star on 30 June 2017 and it is now so included in the List of IAU-approved Star Names.
This star, along with Gamma Geminorum (Alhena), Mu Geminorum, Nu Geminorum and Eta Geminorum were "al-hanʽah" "the brand" (on the neck of the camel). They also were associated in "al-nuḥātai", the dual form of "al-nuḥāt", "the camel's hump".
In Chinese, (), meaning "Well (asterism)", refers to an asterism consisting of Xi Geminorum, Mu Geminorum, Nu Geminorum, Gamma Geminorum, Epsilon Geminorum, 36 Geminorum, Zeta Geminorum and Lambda Geminorum. Consequently, Xi Geminorum itself is known as (, .)
Properties.
Although generally considered a single star, there is some evidence that Xi Geminorum may instead be a spectroscopic binary system consisting of two component stars of equal mass.
Xi Geminorum has a stellar classification of F5 IV-V, which is subgiant star that is in the process of evolving away from the main sequence of stars like the Sun. It has about 162% of the Sun's mass and is radiating more than 11 times the luminosity of the Sun. This energy is being emitted from the outer envelope of the star at an effective temperature of 6,464 K. This causes the star to take on the yellow-white hue common to F-type stars.
X-ray emission has been detected from this star, which has an estimated X-ray luminosity of . It has the spectroscopic signature of a rapidly rotating star, with a projected rotational velocity of about 66 km s−1.


Gamma Ophiuchi

Gamma Ophiuchi, Latinized from γ Ophiuchi, is a fourth-magnitude star in the constellation Ophiuchus. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 31.73 mas as seen from Earth, it is located 103 light years from the Sun. The system has an age of roughly 184 million years. It is moving closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of −7.6 km/s.
It is known also as Muliphen, although at least two more stars are known with this name: Gamma Canis Majoris (often spelled as Muliphein) and Gamma Centauri (often spelled as Muhlifain).
This is an A-type main sequence star with a stellar classification of A0 V. Gray et al. (2003) lists a classification of A1VnkA0mA0, indicating it is of type A1 V with the calcium K-line and metallic lines of an A0 star. It has nearly three times the mass of the Sun and 1.8 times the Sun's radius. The star shines with 29 times the luminosity of the Sun, which is being emitted from its outer atmosphere at an effective temperature of . It is radiating an excess emission of infrared, suggesting the presence of a circumstellar disk of dust at an orbital radius of 64 AU from the host star.


42 Cancri

42 Cancri is a single star in the northern zodiac constellation of Cancer. With an apparent visual magnitude of 6.83, it is dimmer than what is considered the normal lower limit for visibility with the naked eye. The star is located at a distance of approximately 616 light years from the Sun based on parallax, and is drifting further away with a radial velocity of +35 km/s. 42 Cancri is a member of the Beehive Cluster (NGC 2632).
The stellar classification of this star is A7III, matching an A-type star that is in the giant stage. However, this may be a misclassification of a main sequence star. It has also been classified as a spectroscopic binary, although no orbital elements are published. 42 Cancri is an estimated 603 million years old and is spinning rapidly with a projected rotational velocity of 195 km/s. The star has 2.39 times the mass of the Sun and 4.2 times the Sun's radius. It is radiating 51.5 times the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 7,607 K.


Upsilon Coronae Borealis

Upsilon Coronae Borealis, Latinized from υ Coronae Borealis, is a solitary star in the northern constellation of Corona Borealis. It is a white-hued star that is dimly visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 5.78. The distance to this object is approximately based on parallax.
This is an A-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of A3V; a star that is currently fusing its core hydrogen. However, Palmer et al. (1968) had it classed as type A2IV, and thus it may be near or past its main sequence lifetime. It is a suspected variable star of unknown type that has been measured ranging in brightness from magnitude 5.78 down to 5.88.
Upsilon Coronae Borealis has three times the mass of the Sun and about 1.5 times the Sun's radius. It is spinning with a projected rotational velocity of 112 km/s. The star is radiating 151 times the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 8,098 K.


Kappa2 Lupi

κ2 Lupi, Latinized as Kappa2 Lupi, is a white-hued star in the southern constellation of Lupus, and forms a double star with Kappa1 Lupi. It is visible to the naked eye as a dim point of light with an apparent visual magnitude is 5.64. This star is located around 181 light years distant from the Sun. It is an A-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of A3/5V. However, Levato (1973) classed the star as A3IV, which would suggest it is already evolving off the main sequence. The star has a high rotation rate, showing a projected rotational velocity of 160 km/s.


S Pegasi

S Pegasi (S Peg) is a Mira variable star in the constellation Pegasus. It varies between magnitude 7 and 13 with a period of 319.22 days. It is believed to be pulsating in the first overtone. First overtone pulsators have masses less than at a temperature of 2,107 K, and less than at the luminosity of S Pegasi.


Kappa2 Sagittarii

Kappa2 Sagittarii (κ2 Sagittarii) is a binary star system in the zodiac constellation of Sagittarius. It is visible to the naked eye with a combined apparent visual magnitude of +5.64. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 10.47 mas as seen from Earth, this system is located around 310 light years from the Sun. They are receding with a radial velocity of +2.6 km/s.
This is a visual binary system with the components orbiting each other over a period of roughly 700 years, having an eccentricity of 0.4 and a semimajor axis of 2 arc seconds. The pair have a combined spectral type that matches an A-type main sequence star with a stellar classification of A5 V. The individual components are of estimated types A1 and A6. The primary member, component A, is a magnitude 6.04 star with 1.85 times the mass of the Sun. It is radiating 38 times the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of about 7,990 K. The companion, component B, is visual magnitude 7.12.
There are two visual companions: component C is a magnitude 14.3 star at an angular separation of 18.6 arc seconds along a position angle of 266°, as of 2000; component D is magnitude 14.0 with a separation of 29.8 arc seconds along a position angle of 219°, also as of 2000.


NGC 5473

NGC 5473 is a lenticular galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major. It was discovered on April 14, 1789 by the astronomer William Herschel. Located roughly 85 million light-years (26.2 megaparsecs) away, it is part of a small galaxy group including NGC 5475 and NGC 5485.


R Canis Majoris

R Canis Majoris is an eclipsing interacting binary star system in the constellation Canis Major. It varies from magnitude 5.7 to 6.34. The system is unusual in the low ratio between the main two components and shortness of the orbital period.
Eclipse timings.
Eclipse timings for R Canis Majoris have been being measured since 1887, and whilst at present the time period appears constant at 1.1359 days, periodic quasi-sinusoidal variations of the eclipse arrival times have been taking place with a periodicity of around 93 years. This has led to the suggestion that there exists a third non-eclipsing body in the system whose gravitational pull is responsible for these variations.
Interacting binary star.
R Canis Majoris is thought to be an interacting binary star. The secondary star has exceeded its Roche lobe and accreted mass to the primary star. This has resulted in the early evolution of the secondary star into the subgiant branch, and increased helium rich material in the primary, causing it to burn brighter and have a higher effective temperature than would usually be expected for a star of its mass.
Reanalysis of the system using high-resolution spectroscopy yields its two main components to have masses 1.67 ± 0.08, and 0.22 ± 0.07 times that of the Sun respectively and radii 1.78 ± 0.03 and 1.22 ± 0.07 times that of the Sun respectively. Their surface temperatures are 7300 and 4350 K. The third star has a mass 80% that of the Sun and a radius around 83% that of the Sun. A third star in the system is very faint, presumably a red dwarf.


23 Cygni

23 Cygni is a single, blue-white hued star in the northern constellation Cygnus. It is a faint star, visible to the naked eye, with an apparent visual magnitude of 5.14. The distance to this star, as estimated from its annual parallax shift of , is about 550 light years. It is moving closer to the Earth with a heliocentric radial velocity of −32 km/s, and is expected to come as near as in around 5.6 million years. At that distance, the current star would be of magnitude 2.24.
This is an ordinary B-type main-sequence star of spectral type B5V, a star that is generating energy through hydrogen fusion at its core. It is roughly 26 million years old with 4.7 times the mass of the Sun and 4.3 times the Sun's radius. The star has a high rate of spin, having a projected rotational velocity of 145 km/s. It is radiating 612 times the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 14,893 K.


Gamma Cancri

Gamma Cancri (γ Cancri, abbreviated Gamma Cnc, γ Cnc) is a multiple star system in the constellation of Cancer.
It consists of a spectroscopic binary, designated Gamma Cancri A, and a single companion star, Gamma Cancri B. A's two components are themselves designated Gamma Cancri Aa (formally named Asellus Borealis , the traditional name of the system) and Ab.
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 system's Bayer designation. The designations of the two constituents as "Gamma Cancri A" and "B", and those of "A's" components - "Gamma Cancri Aa" and "Ab" - derive from the convention used by the Washington Multiplicity Catalog (WMC) for multiple star systems, and adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
It bore the traditional name "Asellus Borealis" (Latin for "northern little donkey"). In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalogue and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN decided to attribute proper names to individual stars rather than entire multiple systems. It approved the name "Asellus Borealis" for the component Gamma Cancri Aa on 6 November 2016 and it is now so included in the List of IAU-approved Star Names. Together with Delta Cancri, it formed the "Aselli", flanking Praesepe.
In Chinese astronomy, "Ghost" () refers to an asterism consisting of Theta Cancri, Eta Cancri, Gamma Cancri and Delta Cancri. Gamma Cancri itself is known as the third star of Ghost ().
Properties.
Gamma Cancri A presents as a white A-type subgiant with an apparent magnitude of +4.67. Located around 181 light-years from the Sun, it shines with a luminosity approximately 36 times greater and has a surface temperature of 9108 K.


49 Cancri

49 Cancri is a single star in the zodiac constellation of Cancer, located 516 light years away from the Sun. It has the Bayer designation b Cancri; "49 Cancri" is the Flamsteed designation. It is visible to the naked eye as a faint star with an apparent visual magnitude of about 5.6. It is moving away from the Earth with a heliocentric radial velocity of +27.5 km/s.
49 Cancri is a variable star. Its brightness changes from magnitude 5.58 to 5.71 every seven days. It is classified as an α2 Canum Venaticorum variable, a class of magnetic chemically peculiar stars. The brightness changes are thought to correspond to the rotation of the star. 49 Cancri is classified from its spectrum as an Ap star, with enhanced lines of silicon, europium, and chromium. Additionally, calcium and magnesium lines are described as weaker than normal.
49 Cancri is classified as an A1 main sequence star. It has three times the mass of the Sun, an effective temperature of , and a radius of . It radiates about a hundred times the luminosity of the Sun due to its high temperature and large size.


BM Andromedae

BM Andromedae (BM And) is a T Tauri star in the constellation Andromeda. Its apparent visual magnitude has irregular variations between a maximum of 11.63 and a minimum of 14.02.
Spectrum.
The exact spectral class of the star is not yet known. Different estimations gives a range F8-K5Vea, meaning that there is agreement in identifying it as a main sequence star more luminous and with stronger emission lines than the usual, a typical classification for young stars that are near the main sequence phase.
The color indexes vary with the star's brightness, but the spectral class of BM Andromedae does not change with the decrease of luminosity. Strong H-alpha lines in the spectra are a sign of a gaseous envelope, while an infrared excess indicates the existence of an extended dust envelope.
System.
BM Andromedae is a young stellar object with a circumstellar cloud around it, one stage of the evolution from protostars to the main sequence phase. The cloud is made of a gaseous envelope and an extended dust envelope. The latter can reach a distance of 1 AU from the star and is strongly flattened and observed edge-on.
It was also found that a correlation exists between the local interstellar magnetic field and the polarization of light emitted by BM Andromedae. Thus, the magnetic field could have played a role in the formation of the system.
Variability.
The envelope blocks a fraction of the light emitted by BM Andromedae, but it's not uniform so this fraction is variable in time. This explains both the brightness variability and the one of color indexes. It was also found that the dust envelope polarizes the light emitted by BM Andromedae; the more light is blocked, the stronger is the polarization.