V391 Pegasi

V391 Pegasi
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation Pegasus
Right ascension 22h 04m 12.2s
Declination +26° 25 08
Apparent magnitude (V) +14.57
Characteristics
Spectral type sdB
Variable type V361 Hydrae (or sdBVr)
Astrometry
Distance4570 ly
(1400 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)+3.84
Details
Mass0.5±0.05 M
Radius0.23±0.03 R
Luminosity15.4 L
Surface gravity (log g)5.15 cgs
Temperature29300 ± 500 K
Age>10 × 109 years
Other designations
HS 2201+2610
Database references
SIMBADdata

V391 Pegasi, also catalogued as HS 2201+2610, is a blue-white subdwarf star approximately 4,570 light-years away in the constellation of Pegasus. The star is classified as an "extreme horizontal branch star". It is small, with only half the mass and a bit less than one-quarter the diameter of the Sun. It has luminosity 15.4 times the Sun. It could be quite old, perhaps in excess of 10 Gyr. It is a pulsating variable star of the V361 Hydrae type (or also called sdBVr type).

Formation

Subdwarf B stars such as V391 Pegasi are thought to be the result of the ejection of the hydrogen envelope of a red giant star at or just before the onset of helium fusion. The ejection left only a tiny amount of hydrogen on the surface - less than 1/1000 of the total stellar mass. The future for the star is to eventually cool down to make a low mass white dwarf. Most stars retain more of their hydrogen after the first red giant phase, and eventually become asymptotic giant branch stars. The reason that some stars, like V391 Pegasi, lose so much mass is not well known.

Planetary system

In 2007, a gas giant planet designated V391 Pegasi b was found in orbit by variable star timing method. This planet around an "extreme horizontal branch" star provided clues about what could happen to the planets in our solar system when our Sun turns into a red giant within the next five billion years.

The V391 Pegasi planetary system
Companion
(in order from star)
Mass Semimajor axis
(AU)
Orbital period
(days)
Eccentricity Inclination Radius
b >3.2±0.7 MJ 1.7±0.1 1170±44 0.00

References

    Bibliography

    External links

    Coordinates: 22h 04m 12.2s, +26° 25′ 08″