Mu Aurigae

μ Aurigae
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Auriga
Right ascension 05h 13m 25.7s
Declination +38° 29' 04"
Apparent magnitude (V) +4.82
Distance 162 ± 11 ly
(50 ± 3 pc)
Spectral type A4Vm
Other designations
11 Aurigae, HR 1689, HD 33641, BD+38°1063, FK5 192, HIP 24340, SAO 57755, GC 6375
Database references
SIMBAD data

Mu Aurigae (μ Aur, μ Aurigae) is a star in the constellation Auriga.

μ Aurigae is a white A-type main sequence dwarf with an apparent magnitude of +4.82. It is approximately 162 light-years from Earth.

Name

This star, along with λ Aur and ρ Aur, were Kazwini's Al Ḣibāʽ (ألحباع), the Tent.[1]. According to the catalogue of stars in the Technical Memorandum 33-507 - A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars, Al Ḣibāʽ were the title for three stars : λ Aur as Al Ḣibāʽ I, μ Aur as Al Ḣibāʽ II and ρ Aur as Al Ḣibāʽ III[2]

In Chinese, 天潢 (Tiān Guāng), meaning Celestial Pier, refers to an asterism consisting of μ Aurigae, 19 Aurigae, φ Aurigae, 14 Aurigae and σ Aurigae.[3] Consequently, μ Aurigae itself is known as 天潢五 (Tiān Guāng wu, English: the First Star of Celestial Pier.)[4]

References

  1. ^ Allen, R. H. (1963). Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning (Reprint ed.). New York, NY: Dover Publications Inc. p. 91. ISBN 0486210790. http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Topics/astronomy/_Texts/secondary/ALLSTA/Aries*.html. Retrieved 2010-12-12. 
  2. ^ Jack W. Rhoads - Technical Memorandum 33-507-A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology; November 15, 1971
  3. ^ (Chinese) 中國星座神話, written by 陳久金. Published by 台灣書房出版有限公司, 2005, ISBN 9789867332257.
  4. ^ (Chinese) AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 7 月 13 日
Stars of Auriga
Bayer
Flamsteed
Nearby