51 Aurigae is a single[8] star in the northern constellation of Auriga. It is visible to the naked eye as a dim, orange-hued star with an apparent visual magnitude of about 5.70.[2] Based on parallax, it is located some 464 light-years (142 parsecs) away from the Sun.[1] It is receding from the Earth with a heliocentric radial velocity of 32 km/s.[4]
Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
---|---|
Constellation | Auriga |
Right ascension | 06h 38m 39.53667s[1] |
Declination | +39° 23′ 27.0659″[1] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 5.696[2] |
Characteristics | |
Spectral type | K5III[2] |
U−B color index | +1.56[3] |
B−V color index | +1.34[3] |
Astrometry | |
Radial velocity (Rv) | 31.98±0.15[4] km/s |
Proper motion (μ) | RA: −22.753[1] mas/yr Dec.: −108.896[1] mas/yr |
Parallax (π) | 7.0332 ± 0.1300 mas[1] |
Distance | 464 ± 9 ly (142 ± 3 pc) |
Absolute magnitude (MV) | 0.76[5] |
Details | |
Mass | 1.58±0.53[6] M☉ |
Radius | 24.5±0.7[1] R☉ |
Luminosity | 178.0±3.9[1] L☉ |
Surface gravity (log g) | 1.84±0.11[6] cgs |
Temperature | 4,277±92[6] K |
Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.01±0.05[6] dex |
Age | 2.2[7] Gyr |
Other designations | |
Database references | |
SIMBAD | data |
At 2.2 billion years old,[7] 51 Aurigae has evolved off from the main sequence and is now a K-type giant star.[2] It is 1.58 times as massive as the Sun,[6] 24.5 times as wide, and 178 times as luminous.[1] It emits radiation from its photosphere with an effective temperature of about 4,277 K.[6]