HD 192263

Lore & Background

HD 192263 was identified as a variable star in the late 1990s by Klaus G. Strassmeier et al. during a search for Doppler imaging candidates. It received its variable star designation, V1703 Aquilae, in 2006. The star is a BY Draconis variable, with luminosity changes driven by starspots on its rotating stellar atmosphere, and exhibits a high level of magnetic activity in its chromosphere. It is viewed almost equator-on, with a projected rotational velocity of 2 km/s, and is approximately 6.6 billion years old with an effective temperature of 4,955 K.

The star was named Phoenicia in the NameExoWorlds campaign by Lebanon during the 100th anniversary of the IAU, referencing the ancient thalassocratic civilisation of the Mediterranean that originated from modern-day Lebanon. Various reported companions for the star are likely line-of-sight optical components or spurious observations.

On 28 September 1999, an exoplanet around HD 192263 was discovered by the Geneva Extrasolar Planet Search team using the CORALIE spectrograph on the 1.2m Euler Swiss Telescope at La Silla Observatory, and independently by Vogt et al. The exoplanet is named Beirut after the capital and largest city of Lebanon.

Reader's Guide

HD 192263 (Phoenicia) holds significance as one of the earlier exoplanet host stars discovered, with its planet Beirut found in 1999 by two independent teams. Its variable star designation, V1703 Aquilae, places it within the BY Draconis class, where starspot activity modulates its light—a characteristic that made it a target for Doppler imaging studies. The star's orange dwarf nature, with 65% of the Sun's mass and 74% of its radius, and its age of about 6.6 billion years, provide context for understanding stellar evolution and magnetic activity in low-mass stars. The naming of the star and its planet through the NameExoWorlds campaign links the system to Lebanese heritage, with Phoenicia and Beirut reflecting the region's ancient and modern identities. The system's distance of 64 light-years and apparent magnitude of 7.79 make it accessible to amateur observers with binoculars or small telescopes, though it is too faint for naked-eye viewing. Its legacy includes contributing to early exoplanet discoveries and demonstrating the interplay between stellar variability and planetary detection.

Did You Know?

• HD 192263 is also designated V1703 Aquilae as a variable star.
• The star is named Phoenicia after the ancient Mediterranean civilisation from modern-day Lebanon.
• Its exoplanet, Beirut, was discovered independently by two teams in 1999.