Beta Monocerotis (Beta Mon, β Monocerotis, β Mon) is a triple star system in the constellation of Monoceros.[1] To the naked eye, it appears as a single star with an apparent visual magnitude of approximately 3.74, making it the brightest visible star in the constellation.[2] The star system consists of three Be stars, β Monocerotis A, β Monocerotis B, and β Monocerotis C. There is also an additional visual companion star that is probably not physically close to the other three stars.[1]
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Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS) |
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Constellation | Monoceros |
Right ascension | 06h 28m 49.0700s[3] |
Declination | −07° 01′ 59.025″[3] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 4.60[3] |
Characteristics | |
Spectral type | B3Ve[3] |
U−B color index | −0.63[2] |
B−V color index | −0.10[2] |
R−I color index | −0.16[2] |
Astrometry | |
Radial velocity (Rv) | 20 ± 5[3] km/s |
Proper motion (μ) | RA: −7.00[3] mas/yr Dec.: −4.97[3] mas/yr |
Parallax (π) | 4.72 ± 1.10[3] mas |
Distance | approx. 700 ly (approx. 210 pc) |
Absolute magnitude (MV) | −2.0[note 1] |
Details | |
Mass | 7[1] M☉ |
Luminosity | 3,200[1] L☉ |
Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 346[2] km/s |
Other designations | |
Database references | |
SIMBAD | data |
Beta Monocerotis A (Beta Mon A, β Monocerotis A, β Mon A) is a Be star with a mass of approximately 7 solar masses and a luminosity of 3,200 times the Sun's.[1]
Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS) |
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Constellation | Monoceros |
Right ascension | 06h 28m 49.424s[5] |
Declination | −07° 02′ 03.88″[5] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 5.40[6] |
Characteristics | |
Spectral type | B3ne[6] |
U−B color index | −0.52[7] |
B−V color index | −0.07[7] |
Astrometry | |
Radial velocity (Rv) | 18 ± 5[6] km/s |
Proper motion (μ) | RA: −7.00[5] mas/yr Dec.: −4.97[5] mas/yr |
Parallax (π) | 4.72 ± 1.10[5] mas |
Distance | approx. 700 ly (approx. 210 pc) |
Absolute magnitude (MV) | −1[note 1] |
Details | |
Mass | 6.2[1] M☉ |
Luminosity | 1,600[1] L☉ |
Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 123[7] km/s |
Other designations | |
Database references | |
SIMBAD | data |
Beta Monocerotis B (Beta Mon B / β Monocerotis B / β Mon B) is a Be star with a mass of approximately 6.2 solar masses and a luminosity of 1,600 times the Sun's.[1]
Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS) |
|
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Constellation | Monoceros |
Right ascension | 06h 28m 49.613s[9] |
Declination | −07° 02′ 04.76″[9] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 5.60[10] |
Characteristics | |
Spectral type | B3e[10] |
B−V color index | −0.1[10] |
Astrometry | |
Radial velocity (Rv) | 23 ± 5[10] km/s |
Proper motion (μ) | RA: −7.00[9] mas/yr Dec.: −4.97[9] mas/yr |
Parallax (π) | 4.72 ± 1.10[9] mas |
Distance | approx. 700 ly (approx. 210 pc) |
Absolute magnitude (MV) | −1[note 1] |
Details | |
Mass | 6[1] M☉ |
Luminosity | 1,300[1] L☉ |
Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 331[11] km/s |
Other designations | |
Database references | |
SIMBAD | data |
Beta Monocerotis C (Beta Mon C / β Monocerotis C / β Mon C) is a Be star with a mass of approximately 6 solar masses and a luminosity of 1,300 times the Sun's.[1] This star was observed to be double in speckle interferometric observations in 1988, but this has not been confirmed by later infrared observations.[12][13]
Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS) |
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Constellation | Monoceros |
Right ascension | 06h 28m 50.3s[14] |
Declination | −07° 01′ 41″[14] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 12.2[14] |
Position (relative to A) | |
Epoch of observation | 1999 |
Angular distance | 25.4″ [4] |
Position angle | 47° [4] |
Other designations | |
Database references | |
SIMBAD | data |
The triple star system has a visual companion, CCDM J06288-0702D, which has an apparent visual magnitude of approximately 12 and is visible approximately 25 arcseconds away from β Monocerotis A.[4] It is probably not physically close to the other three stars, merely appearing next to them in the sky.[1]
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