Upsilon Tauri

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υ Tauri
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0
Constellation
(pronunciation)
Taurus
Right ascension 04h 26m 18.5s
Declination +22° 48' 49"
Apparent magnitude (V) +4.28
Distance 155 ± 6 ly
(47 ± 2 pc)
Spectral type A8Vn
Other designations
69 Tauri, HR 1392,
HD 28024, BD+22 696,
FK5 2326, HIP 20711,
SAO 76608, GC 5370,
CCDM 04263+2249

Upsilon Tauri (υ Tau / υ Tauri) is a triple star system in the constellation Taurus and a member of the Hyades star cluster. It is approximately 155 light years from Earth.

The primary component, Upsilon Tauri A, is a white A-type main sequence dwarf with a mean apparent magnitude of +4.28. It is classified as a Delta Scuti type variable star and its brightness varies from magnitude +4.28 to +4.31 with a period of 3.56 hours. It is also a spectroscopic binary, and is composed of two stars with apparent magnitudes of +4.4 and +6.5 which are separated by 0.02 arcseconds, or at least 1 Astronomical Unit. A third star, 12th magnitude in brightness, orbits the pair with a separation of 110 arcseconds.

Occasionally this star system shares the Bayer designation υ Tauri with 72 Tauri, which separated from this star system by 0.29° on the sky. 72 Tauri is not a member of the Hyades cluster, being three times farther away from Earth.