Epsilon Cancri
Epsilon Cancri (ε Cancri, abbreviated Epsilon Cnc, ε Cnc) is a white-hued binary star system in the zodiac constellation of Cancer. It is the brightest member of the Beehive Cluster[12] with an apparent visual magnitude of +6.29,[2] which is near the lower limit of visibility with the naked eye. The annual parallax shift of 5.3 mas as seen from Earth yields a distance estimate of approximately 616 light-years from the Sun.
Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
---|---|
Constellation | Cancer |
Right ascension | 08h 40m 27.01052s[1] |
Declination | 19° 32′ 41.3133″[1] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 6.29[2] |
Characteristics | |
Spectral type | A5 III[3] |
U−B color index | +0.16[4] |
B−V color index | +0.17[4] |
Astrometry | |
Radial velocity (Rv) | +29.9±1.1[5] km/s |
Proper motion (μ) | RA: −36.301[6] mas/yr Dec.: −12.291[6] mas/yr |
Parallax (π) | 5.2937 ± 0.0781 mas[6] |
Distance | 616 ± 9 ly (189 ± 3 pc) |
Absolute magnitude (MV) | +0.00[2] |
Orbit[7] | |
Period (P) | 35.202±0.033 d |
Eccentricity (e) | 0.32±0.04 |
Periastron epoch (T) | 2448313.5 ± 0.7 |
Argument of periastron (ω) (secondary) | 265±5° |
Semi-amplitude (K1) (primary) | 53.0±1.9 km/s |
Semi-amplitude (K2) (secondary) | 67.8±3.9 km/s |
Details | |
Mass | 2.5[8] M☉ |
Radius | 4.8[9] R☉ |
Luminosity | 90[9] L☉ |
Surface gravity (log g) | 3.49[8] cgs |
Temperature | 8,163[9] K |
Metallicity [Fe/H] | +0.10[8] dex |
Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 49.2[10] km/s |
Age | 728[11] Myr |
Other designations | |
ε Cancri: Meleph, ε Cnc, 41 Cancri, BD+20°2171, GC 11904, HD 73731, HIP 42556, HR 3429, SAO 98024, GSC 01395-02733 | |
HD 73711: Meleph, BD+20°2163, GC 11893, HD 73711, SAO 98018 | |
Database references | |
SIMBAD | ε Cancri |
HD 73711 |
The binary pair has the designation WDS J08405+1933. The primary star is designated Epsilon Cancri and the secondary is HD 73711. Epsilon Cancri is itself a spectroscopic binary with components designated Aa (also named Meleph[13]) and Ab. HD 73711 is itself suspected of being a spectroscopic binary.[14]
Nomenclature

ε Cancri (Latinised to Epsilon Cancri) is the system's Bayer designation, which originally referred to the entire cluster.[15]
In 2016, the IAU organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN)[16] to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN decided to attribute proper names to individual stars rather than entire multiple systems.[17] It approved the name Meleph for the component Epsilon Cancri Aa on 5 September 2017 and it is now so included in the List of IAU-approved Star Names.[13]
Properties
The system is moving away from the Sun with a radial velocity of +30 km/s.[5]
Epsilon Cancri A is a double-lined spectroscopic binary system with an orbital period of 35 days and eccentricity of 0.32.[7] It has a stellar classification of A5 III,[3] which matches an A-type giant star. The spectrum displays the chemically peculiar characteristics of an Am star.[18] Its spectral type has been listed as kA3hA5mF0, indicating the different spectral types shown by spectral lines of calcium, hydrogen, and other metals.[19] The age of the system is estimated to be around 728 million years.
HD 73711 is another Am star F-type star with a stellar classification of F0 III.
References
- Van Leeuwen, F. (2007). "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 474 (2): 653–664. arXiv:0708.1752. Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357. S2CID 18759600. Vizier catalog entry
- Anderson, E.; Francis, Ch. (2012). "XHIP: An extended hipparcos compilation". Astronomy Letters. 38 (5): 331. arXiv:1108.4971. Bibcode:2012AstL...38..331A. doi:10.1134/S1063773712050015. S2CID 119257644. Vizier catalog entry
- Abt, Helmut A.; Morrell, Nidia I. (1995). "The Relation between Rotational Velocities and Spectral Peculiarities among A-Type Stars". Astrophysical Journal Supplement. 99: 135. Bibcode:1995ApJS...99..135A. doi:10.1086/192182.
- Mallama, A. (2014). "Sloan Magnitudes for the Brightest Stars". The Journal of the American Association of Variable Star Observers. 42 (2): 443. Bibcode:2014JAVSO..42..443M.Vizier catalog entry
- de Bruijne, J. H. J.; Eilers, A.-C. (October 2012), "Radial velocities for the HIPPARCOS-Gaia Hundred-Thousand-Proper-Motion project", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 546: 14, arXiv:1208.3048, Bibcode:2012A&A...546A..61D, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201219219, S2CID 59451347, A61.
- Brown, A. G. A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (August 2018). "Gaia Data Release 2: Summary of the contents and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 616. A1. arXiv:1804.09365. Bibcode:2018A&A...616A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201833051. Gaia DR2 record for this source at VizieR.
- Pourbaix, D.; et al. (2004), "SB9: The Ninth Catalogue of Spectroscopic Binary Orbits", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 424 (2): 727–732, arXiv:astro-ph/0406573, Bibcode:2004A&A...424..727P, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20041213, S2CID 119387088.
- Anders, F.; Khalatyan, A.; Queiroz, A. B. A.; Chiappini, C.; Ardevol, J.; Casamiquela, L.; Figueras, F.; Jimenez-Arranz, O.; Jordi, C.; Monguio, M.; Romero-Gomez, M.; Altamirano, D.; Antoja, T.; Assaad, R.; Cantat-Gaudin, T.; Castro-Ginard, A.; Enke, H.; Girardi, L.; Guiglion, G.; Khan, S.; Luri, X.; Miglio, A.; Minchev, I.; Ramos, P.; Santiago, B. X.; Steinmetz, M. (2022). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: StarHorse2, Gaia EDR3 photo-astrometric distances (Anders+, 2022)". Vizier Online Data Catalog. Bibcode:2022yCat.1354....0A.
- Stassun, Keivan G.; et al. (9 September 2019). "The Revised TESS Input Catalog and Candidate Target List". The Astronomical Journal. 158 (4): 138. arXiv:1905.10694. Bibcode:2019AJ....158..138S. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ab3467. ISSN 0004-6256.
- Paunzen, E.; et al. (February 2013), "A photometric study of chemically peculiar stars with the STEREO satellites - II. Non-magnetic chemically peculiar stars", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 429 (1): 119–125, arXiv:1211.1535, Bibcode:2013MNRAS.429..119P, doi:10.1093/mnras/sts318.
- Gontcharov, G. A. (2012). "Dependence of kinematics on the age of stars in the solar neighborhood". Astronomy Letters. 38 (12): 771–782. arXiv:1606.08814. Bibcode:2012AstL...38..771G. doi:10.1134/S1063773712120031. S2CID 118345778. Vizier catalog entry
- Wang, J. J; Chen, L; Zhao, J. H; Jiang, P. F (1995). "High-precision study of proper motions and membership of 924 stars in the central region of Praesepe". Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement. 113: 419. Bibcode:1995A&AS..113..419W.
- "Naming Stars". IAU.org. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- Abt, Helmut A.; Willmarth, Daryl W. (1999). "Binaries in the Praesepe and Coma Star Clusters and Their Implications for Binary Evolution". The Astrophysical Journal. 521 (2): 682. Bibcode:1999ApJ...521..682A. doi:10.1086/307569.
- "Cancer – the asses and the Manger". Star Tales (online edition). Retrieved 2022-05-03.
- "IAU Working Group on Star Names (WGSN)". Retrieved 22 May 2016.
- "WG Triennial Report (2015–2018) – Star Names" (PDF). p. 5. Retrieved 2018-07-14.
- Renson, P.; Manfroid, J. (May 2009), "Catalogue of Ap, HgMn and Am stars", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 498 (3): 961–966, Bibcode:2009A&A...498..961R, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200810788.
- Gray, R. O; Garrison, R. F (1989). "The late A-type stars – Refined MK classification, confrontation with Stromgren photometry, and the effects of rotation". Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 70: 623. Bibcode:1989ApJS...70..623G. doi:10.1086/191349.