Kappa Herculis
Optical double star in Hercules with a suspected variable component.
Kappa Herculis is an optical double star in the constellation Hercules, whose two main components are separated by 27.3 arc seconds. The brighter component, Kappa Herculis A, lies about 370 light-years from the Sun, while the fainter B component is roughly 2,000 light-years distant. A third component, Kappa Herculis C, shares the distance and space motion of component A.
Quick Facts
- Bayer designation
- κ Herculis
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- Kappa Herculis forms a naked eye pair with 8 Herculis.
- The star 36 Capricorni also represents the state of Jin in the Twelve States asterism.
- Kappa Herculis is a suspected variable star with a reported magnitude range of 4.70 to 5.02.
Nomenclature
The Bayer designation for the system is κ Herculis, Latinised to Kappa Herculis. The Washington Multiplicity Catalog assigns the component designations Kappa Herculis A, B, and C, a convention adopted by the International Astronomical Union. The traditional names Marsic, Marfik, and Marfak derive from the Arabic Al-Mirfaq, meaning "the elbow," a name shared with Lambda Ophiuchi. The Working Group on Star Names approved Marsic for Kappa Herculis A on February 1, 2017, and Marfik for the primary of Lambda Ophiuchi on September 12, 2016; both are included in the List of IAU-approved Star Names. In Chinese astronomy, Kappa Herculis is part of the Right Wall of Heavenly Market Enclosure asterism, representing the state of Jin (or Tsin).
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