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Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
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Constellation | Camelopardalis |
Right ascension | 03h41m 48.17393s[1] |
Declination | +62° 38′ 54.3906″[1] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 7.55[2] |
Characteristics | |
Spectral type | C-N55.5 (MS4)[3] |
U−B color index | +3.50[2] |
B−V color index | +1.95[2] |
Variable type | SRb[4] |
Astrometry | |
Radial velocity (Rv) | -3.00[5] km/s |
Proper motion (μ) | RA: 3.50[1] mas/yr Dec.: -3.62[1] mas/yr |
Parallax (π) | 1.03 ± 0.59 mas[1] |
Distance | 530[6] pc |
Absolute magnitude (MV) | −2.4 (max)[7] |
Details | |
Luminosity | 8,472[8] L☉ |
Temperature | 3,000[9] K |
Other designations | |
Database references | |
SIMBAD | data |
U Camelopardalis is a semiregular variable star in the constellation Camelopardalis. Based on parallax measurements made by the Hipparcos spacecraft, it is located about 3,000 light-years (1,000 parsecs) away from the Earth.[1] Its apparent visual magnitude is about 8, which is dim enough that it cannot be seen with the unaided eye.
The spectral type of U Camelopardalis in the revised MK system is C-N5, which indicates a classical carbon star spectrum approximately corresponding to late K or early M.[10] The C2 index is 5.5 which is typical of a C-N star.[11] It is also given an alternative spectral type of MS4, indicating a star similar to an M4 class but with somewhat enhanced ZrO bands.[3] The spectral type may vary between C3,9 and C6,4e.[4]
U Camelopardalis is a carbon star. These types of stars have greater levels of carbon in their atmospheres than oxygen, which means they form carbon compounds that make the star appear strikingly red. U Camelopardalis is nearly 4 magnitudes fainter at blue wavelengths than in the centre of the visual range. In the infrared K band it has an apparent magnitude of 0.37.[13] Its brightness varies without a dominant period and it is classified as semi-regular, although a period of 400 days has been published.[13] In the V photometric band the brightness varies by around half a magnitude,[14] but the amplitude is nearly two magnitudes at blue wavelengths.[4] The maximum visual magnitude has been given as 7.2.[7]
The shell of gas surrounding U Camelopardalis was imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2012, showing a nearly perfect sphere of gas surrounding the star.[15]
U Cameloparadlis has a 10th magnitude companion 308" away. It is a B8 main sequence star, hotter but less luminous than U Cam itself. They are not thought to be physically associated.[7]
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