HD 38283
A metal-deficient F-type star with a Saturnian planet in a 363-day orbit.
HD 38283, also known as Bubup, is a star located in the southern circumpolar constellation Mensa. It has a magnitude of 6.70, making it too dim for the unaided eye but visible through binoculars. The star lies about 124 light-years from Earth and is moving away from us.
The name "Bubup" comes from the Boonwurrung word for "child," assigned by the International Astronomical Union in 2019 following a proposal from Australian representatives for the NameExoWorlds contest.
Classified as F9.5 V, Bubup is a late F-type main-sequence star, just short of being a G-type. It has 137% of the Sun's mass and 149% of its radius, and shines with roughly twice the Sun's luminosity. Its effective temperature gives it a yellow glow. Unlike most stars known to host planets, Bubup is metal-poor, with an iron abundance only 66% of the Sun's, and is older at about 7 billion years. It rotates slowly. A 2015 survey found no stellar companions at projected distances above a certain threshold.
The star hosts one known planet, HD 38283 b (named Yanyan), discovered on April 11, 2011. This Saturn-mass planet orbits every 363 days in an Earth-like orbit. However, its significant orbital eccentricity and the star's greater luminosity compared to the Sun make it unlikely to support habitable exomoons.
Quick Facts
- Constellation
- Mensa
- Apparent magnitude
- 6.7
- Distance
- 124 light-years
- Spectral type
- F9.5 V
- Mass
- 137% of the Sun
- Radius
- 149% of the Sun
- Luminosity
- about double the Sun
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
HD 38283, or Bubup, is an F9.5 V main-sequence star, a late F-type just shy of being a G-type. It has 137% the mass and 149% the radius of the Sun, shining at about twice the Sun's luminosity with a yellow glow. The star is older than the Sun at roughly 7 billion years and is metal-deficient, with an iron abundance 66% that of the Sun. It spins slowly, though its exact rotational velocity is not specified. A 2015 survey found no stellar companions at projected distances above a certain threshold, which is not given.
The star's name, Bubup, comes from the Boonwurrung word for 'child', assigned by the IAU as part of the 2019 NameExoWorlds contest, chosen by representatives of Australia. The planet HD 38283 b, named Yanyan, was discovered on April 11, 2011, via radial velocity. It is a Saturnian planet in an Earth-like 363-day orbit, but its significant eccentricity and the host star's overluminosity make it unable to host habitable exomoons.
Reader's Guide
HD 38283 (Bubup) holds significance as a rare example of a metal-deficient star that hosts a planet, challenging typical models of planet formation which often favor metal-rich environments. Its planet, Yanyan, was one of the early discoveries of a long-period Saturn-mass world via radial velocity, with an orbital period nearly matching Earth's. The star's age of about 7 billion years and its lower iron content provide a valuable contrast to younger, metal-rich planetary systems. The system's legacy includes its role in the 2019 NameExoWorlds contest, where indigenous Australian language was used to name both star and planet, linking astronomical discovery to cultural heritage. The inability of Yanyan to support habitable exomoons, due to orbital eccentricity and the star's higher luminosity, underscores the narrow conditions required for habitability. The 2015 survey ruling out stellar companions further clarifies the system's architecture, confirming it as a single-star planetary system. Bubup remains a benchmark for studying planet formation in low-metallicity environments and for understanding the diversity of exoplanetary systems.
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