Menkalinan, a white main-sequence star in Auriga
Menkalinan is a white main-sequence star in the constellation Auriga. At 81 light years away, it is the 42nd brightest star in the Earth's sky, where it shines at an apparent visual magnitude of 1.9.
Menkalinan (HIP 28360)
Menkalinan is a white main-sequence star in the constellation Auriga. At 81 light years away, it is the 42nd brightest star in the Earth's sky, where it shines at an apparent visual magnitude of 1.90. Menkalinan is the primary component of a multiple-star system. The iron abundance of Menkalinan is -0.11 (77.6% of the Sun). It is moving through the Galaxy at a speed of 17.1 km/s relative to the Sun. Its projected Galactic orbit carries it between 23,000 and 34,800 light years from the center of the Galaxy. It will come closest to the Sun 1.3 million years from now when it will brighten to magnitude -0.15 from a distance of 32 light years.
Sky position: RA 5h 59.5m, Dec +44° 57'
Common designations: Menkalinan, Beta Aurigae, 34 Aurigae, HIP 28360, HD 40183, Gliese 3375
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Brightest stars in Auriga:
(list all)
| Rank | Mag. | Star |
| 1 | 0.08 | Capella |
2
| 1.90
) Menkalinan
| Rank | Mag. | Star |
| 3 | 2.65 | Theta Aurigae |
| 4 | 2.69 | Hassaleh |
| 5 | 3.03 | Al Anz |
| 6 | 3.18 | Hoedus II |
| 7 | 3.69 | Hoedus I |
| 8 | 3.72 | Delta Aurigae |
| 9 | 3.97 | Nu Aurigae |
| 10 | 4.30 | Pi Aurigae |
| 11 | 4.32 | Kappa Aurigae |
| 12 | 4.51 | Tau Aurigae |
| 13 | 4.54 | 16 Aurigae |
| 14 | 4.69 | Lambda Aurigae |
| 15 | 4.71 | Chi Aurigae |
| 16 | 4.72 | Upsilon Aurigae |
| 17 | 4.79 | 2 Aurigae |
Hover over other bright stars to identify or click to jump.
Galactic Orbit of Menkalinan
(compared to the Sun)
E
ccentricity: 20.5% vs. 16.0%Angle φ : 44.9°vs. 26.0°
Semi-major axis : 8,873 pc vs. 8,686 pc
Semi-minor axis: 8,685 pc vs. 8,574 pc
Focus-to-center
: 1,816 pcvs. 1,388 pcSemilatus rectum : 8,501 pc vs. 8,464 pc
Perigalacticon: 7,056 pc vs. 7,297 pc
Apogalacticon
: 10,689 pcvs. 10,074 pcSome Tabulated XHIP Data for Menkalinan
(see also: SIMBAD)
Astrometry
2007A&A...474..653V
| Position | Proper Motion | |
| Right Ascension: | 89.88237269° ±0.20 mas | -56.44 ±0.25 mas/yr. |
| Declination: | 44.94743488° ±0.11 mas | -0.95 ±0.11 mas/yr. |
| Galactic Longitude: | 167.45690242° | -25.78 mas/yr. |
| Galactic Latitude: | 10.40956034° | -50.22 mas/yr. |
Parallax: 40.21 ± 0.23 mas
Spectrography
Spectral Type: A1V 2009A&A...501..297Z.
Radial Velocity:
-15.75 ±0.62 km/s [A rating]
2004A&A...424..727P.
This star is a spectroscopic binary with a solved orbit.
Iron Abundance [Fe/H]:
-0.11 dex
2011A&A...525A..71W.
Photometry
| band | magnitude | Abs. Mag. |
| U | ||
| B | 1.98 | 0.00 |
| V | 1.90 | -0.08 |
| R | ||
| I | 1.85 | -0.12 |
| J | 1.76 | -0.22 |
| H | 1.76 | -0.22 |
| K | 1.78 | -0.20 |
B-V: +0.08 V-I: +0.05
Derivations
Heliocentric distance: 24.87 pc (0.6% margin of error)
Galactocentric distance: 7,424 pc
Transverse velocity: 6.7 km/s
3D heliocentric position and motion:
|
toward: |
Galactic center | Galactic rotation | North Galactic Pole |
| Position ( X, Y, Z) | -23.9 pc | 5.3 pc | 4.5 pc |
| Velocity (U, V, W) | 14.7 km/s | -0.2 km/s | -8.7 km/s |