HD 50064

HD 50064

A light curve for HD 50064, adapted from Aerts et al. (2010)[1]
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Monoceros
Right ascension 06h 51m 34.1060s[2]
Declination +00° 17′ 50.466″[2]
Apparent magnitude (V) 8.21[1]
Characteristics
Spectral type B6Ia[3]
U−B color index −0.31[4]
B−V color index +0.76[4]
Variable type LBV?[1]
Astrometry
Proper motion (μ) RA: −0.053[2] mas/yr
Dec.: +0.534[2] mas/yr
Parallax (π)0.1846 ± 0.0201 mas[2]
Distanceapprox. 18,000 ly
(approx. 5,400 pc)
Details
Mass45[1] M☉
Radius200[1] R☉
Luminosity1,260,000[1] L☉
Surface gravity (log g)1.5[1] cgs
Temperature13,500[1] K
Other designations
HD 50064, BD+00°1651, MWC 536, 2MASS J06513410+0017503, GSC 00148-02328
Database references
SIMBADdata

HD 50064 is a blue supergiant located in the constellation of Monoceros, easy to see with small telescopes.

Characteristics

HD 50064 is the bright star (yellowish with visible diffraction spikes) to the south of NGC 2301

Although it appears quite close to the open cluster NGC 2301 it is much farther away and is not a member of the cluster. It is at least 2,900 parsecs away, more than twice the distance of NGC 2301.[5]

HD 50064 has variously been assigned spectral types of B6, B9, and B1, and is readily seen to have a bright supergiant luminosity class. It also shows Hα emission lines with P Cygni profiles, indicating mass loss through a powerful stellar wind.[5]

HD 50064 shows small-amplitude semi-regular pulsations. One strong period of 37 days has been interpreted as a strange mode oscillation and used to calculate the physical structure of the star. A luminosity of approximately 1,260,000 times that of the Sun -placing it among the brightest stars of the Milky Way-, a radius 200 times that of the Sun, and a mass 45 times larguer than the Sun, are derived. The pulsations and its spectrum are similar to those of Luminous blue variables (LBVs). The moderate mass loss suggests that it is an LBV caught pulsating and creating a circumstellar shell.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Aerts, C.; Lefever, K.; Baglin, A.; Degroote, P.; Oreiro, R.; Vučković, M.; Smolders, K.; Acke, B.; Verhoelst, T.; Desmet, M.; Godart, M.; Noels, A.; Dupret, M.-A.; Auvergne, M.; Baudin, F.; Catala, C.; Michel, E.; Samadi, R. (April 2010). "Periodic mass-loss episodes due to an oscillation mode with variable amplitude in the hot supergiant HD 50064". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 513: L11. arXiv:1003.5551. Bibcode:2010A&A...513L..11A. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201014124. S2CID 41541073.
  2. ^ a b c d e Vallenari, A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2023). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 674: A1. arXiv:2208.00211. Bibcode:2023A&A...674A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940. S2CID 244398875. Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  3. ^ Kohoutek, L.; Wehmeyer, R. (1997). "Catalogue of stars in the Northern Milky Way having H-alpha in emission". Abhandlungen aus der Hamburger Sternwarte. 11: 1. Bibcode:1997AAHam..11.....K.
  4. ^ a b Ducati, J. R. (2002). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: Catalogue of Stellar Photometry in Johnson's 11-color system". CDS/ADC Collection of Electronic Catalogues. 2237: 0. Bibcode:2002yCat.2237....0D.
  5. ^ a b Halbedel, Elaine M. (1990). "Photometry of HD 50064 - A Be supergiant star with a P Cygni profile at H-alpha". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 102: 99. Bibcode:1990PASP..102...99H. doi:10.1086/132612. ISSN 0004-6280.