HD 153261
A blue-white Be star in Ara, variable and possibly binary.
HD 153261 is a star in the southern constellation of Ara, designated V828 Arae as a variable star. It is notable as a Be star with a suspected spectroscopic binary nature, exhibiting variability in brightness.
- Apparent visual magnitude
- 6.137
- Distance
- approximately 1400 ly
- Stellar classification
- B1 V:ne or B2 IVne
- Mass
- over ten times the Sun's mass
- Radius
- around 4.5 times the Sun's radius
- Luminosity
- more than 11,000 times the Sun's brightness
- Effective temperature
- 21,150 K
Lore & Background
HD 153261 was first suspected to be variable by Christopher Stagg in 1983, and his later observations confirmed its variability. It received its variable star designation V828 Arae in 1987. The star's spectrum shows emission lines from hot circumstellar gas, classifying it as a Be star, with broadened absorption lines due to rapid rotation. It is a suspected spectroscopic binary. The star shines with a blue-white hue at an effective temperature of 21,150 K, and its brightness varies with an amplitude of 0.090 in magnitude.
Reader's Guide
HD 153261, as V828 Arae, represents a class of Be stars that are important for studying stellar rotation, mass loss, and circumstellar disk formation. Its suspected binary nature adds complexity to understanding its variability and evolutionary state. With a mass over ten times that of the Sun and a luminosity exceeding 11,000 solar luminosities, it is a massive, short-lived star. The star's variability, confirmed by Christopher Stagg, and its classification as either a main sequence or subgiant star, place it in a transitional phase of stellar evolution. Its distance of about 1400 light-years and near-naked-eye visibility make it accessible for amateur and professional observations, contributing to the broader knowledge of variable Be stars in the southern sky.
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