Ross 614
A nearby red dwarf binary system in Monoceros.
Ross 614, also known as V577 Monocerotis, is a red dwarf UV Ceti flare star and the primary member of a nearby binary star system in Monoceros. It lies about 13.4 light years (4.10 parsecs) from Earth, making it one of the nearest stars, yet it is invisible to the naked eye at apparent magnitude 11. Its proximity has led to extensive study and a large number of designations.
Quick Facts
- Constellation
- Monoceros
- Distance
- 13.4 light years (4.10 parsecs)
- Apparent magnitude
- 11
- Spectral type
- red dwarf UV Ceti flare star
- Binary system discovered
- 1936
- Primary discovered
- 1927
- Orbital period
- about 16.6 years
Facts from the source article.
Binary star system
The system comprises two closely spaced low-mass red dwarfs. The secondary star, at magnitude 14, is lost in the glare of the primary. A 2003 study by George Gatewood, using older sources and Hipparcos data, gave an orbital period of about 16.6 years and a semi-major axis separation of about 1.1 arc seconds (2.4–5.3 AU). A 2022 study combining radial velocity, astrometry, and imaging found a similar orbital period, a semi-major axis of 4.2 AU, and a very low mass for the companion.
History
F. E. Ross discovered the primary star in 1927 using the 40-inch refractor at Yerkes Observatory, noticing its high proper motion on second-epoch plates from a survey started by E. E. Barnard. Ross included it in his catalog. Dirk Reuyl first detected the binary in 1936 via astrometric analysis of photographic plates from the 26-inch refractor at McCormick Observatory. In 1951 Sarah L. Lippincott made reasonably accurate predictions of the secondary's position using the 24-inch refractor at Sproul Observatory, which Walter Baade used to optically resolve the binary with the 5-meter Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory.
More in Stars of Monoceros
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced