Summary
42 Draconis (abbreviated 42 Dra), formally named Fafnir (/ˈfɑːvnər/ or /ˈfɑːfnɪər/),[3][4] is a 5th magnitude K-type giant star located approximately 315 light years away in the constellation of Draco. As of 2009, an extrasolar planet (designated 42 Draconis b, later named Orbitar) is thought to be orbiting the star.
 42 Draconis in optical light | |
| Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Draco |
| Right ascension | 18h 25m 59.13734s[1] |
| Declination | +65° 33′ 48.5288″[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 4.82[2] |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | K1.5 III[2] |
| B−V color index | 1.187 |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | 32.17 ± 0.20 km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: 105.83 ± 0.21[1] mas/yr Dec.: -27.24 ± 0.28[1] mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 10.36 ± 0.20 mas[1] |
| Distance | 315 ± 6 ly (97 ± 2 pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | –0.108 |
| Details[2] | |
| Mass | 0.879±0.050 M☉ |
| Radius | 21.76±0.43 R☉ |
| Luminosity | 142.55±5.77 L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 2.1±0.54 cgs |
| Temperature | 4,280±16 K |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | −0.5 dex |
| Age | 13.19±1.92 Gyr |
| Other designations | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
| Exoplanet Archive | data |
Of spectral type K1.5III, the star has a mass similar to the Sun but with a radius 22 times greater. It is a metal-poor star with metallicity as low as 35% that of the Sun and its age is 9.49 billion years. It is the northern pole star of Venus.[5]
Nomenclature edit
42 Draconis is the star's Flamsteed designation. Following its discovery the planet was designated 42 Draconis b. In July 2014 the International Astronomical Union launched NameExoWorlds, a process for giving proper names to certain exoplanets and their host stars.[6] The process involved public nomination and voting for the new names.[7] In December 2015, the IAU announced the winning names were Fafnir for this star and Orbitar for its planet.[8]
The winning names were submitted by the Brevard Astronomical Society of Brevard County, Florida, United States.[9] Fafnir was a Norse mythological dwarf who turned into a dragon, it is also the name of a fictional planet in Larry Niven's known space universe of similar description, ('Draco' is Latin for 'dragon'); Orbitar is a contrived word paying homage to the space launch and orbital operations of NASA.[10]
In 2016, the IAU organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN)[11] to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. In its first bulletin of July 2016,[12] the WGSN explicitly recognized the names of exoplanets and their host stars approved by the Executive Committee Working Group Public Naming of Planets and Planetary Satellites, including the names of stars adopted during the 2015 NameExoWorlds campaign. This star is now so entered in the IAU Catalog of Star Names.[4]
Planetary system edit
42 Draconis b was discovered in 2009. It is an example of a super-Jupiter.[13] However, the existence of this planet was questioned in 2021.[14]
| Companion (in order from star) |
Mass | Semimajor axis (AU) |
Orbital period (days) |
Eccentricity | Inclination | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| b (Orbitar) (disputed) | ≥3.88 ± 0.85 MJ | 1.19 ± 0.01 | 479.1 ± 6.2 | 0.38 ± 0.06 | — | — |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d e van Leeuwen, F. (2007). "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 474 (2): 653–664. arXiv:0708.1752. Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357. S2CID 18759600. Vizier catalog entry
- ^ a b c Ligi, R.; et al. (February 2016), "Radii, masses, and ages of 18 bright stars using interferometry and new estimations of exoplanetary parameters", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 586: 23, arXiv:1511.03197, Bibcode:2016A&A...586A..94L, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201527054, S2CID 15941645, A94.
- ^ "Fafnir". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary.
- ^ a b "IAU Catalog of Star Names". Retrieved 28 July 2016.
- ^ ""Is Polaris the north star for all the other planets just like it is for Earth?" | Planetarium | University of Southern Maine". usm.maine.edu. Archived from the original on 2022-11-03. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
- ^ NameExoWorlds: An IAU Worldwide Contest to Name Exoplanets and their Host Stars. IAU.org. 9 July 2014
- ^ "NameExoWorlds The Process". Archived from the original on 2015-08-15. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
- ^ Final Results of NameExoWorlds Public Vote Released, International Astronomical Union, 15 December 2015.
- ^ Website
- ^ "NameExoWorlds The Approved Names". Archived from the original on 2018-02-01. Retrieved 2015-12-18.
- ^ "IAU Working Group on Star Names (WGSN)". Retrieved 22 May 2016.
- ^ "Bulletin of the IAU Working Group on Star Names, No. 1" (PDF). Retrieved 28 July 2016.
- ^ a b Döllinger, M. P.; et al. (2009). "Planetary companion candidates around the K giant stars 42 Draconis and HD 139 357". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 499 (3): 935–942. arXiv:0903.3593. Bibcode:2009A&A...499..935D. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200810837. S2CID 15677079.
- ^ Döllinger, M. P.; Hartmann, M. (September 2021). "A Sanity Check for Planets around Evolved Stars". The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 256 (1): 10. Bibcode:2021ApJS..256...10D. doi:10.3847/1538-4365/ac081a. S2CID 237369556.
External links edit
- Jean Schneider (2011). "Notes for star 42 Dra". Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia. Archived from the original on August 19, 2009. Retrieved 3 October 2011.