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Stars in Andromeda

Upsilon Andromedae, a white main-sequence star in Andromeda

Upsilon Andromedae is a white main-sequence star in the constellation Andromeda. At 44 light years away, it shines at an apparent visual magnitude of 4.1.

Ashland Astronomy Studio Star

Upsilon Andromedae (HIP 7513)

Upsilon Andromedae is a white main-sequence star in the constellation Andromeda. At 44 light years away, it shines at an apparent visual magnitude of 4.10. Upsilon Andromedae is the primary component of a multiple-star system. The star's age is estimated to be 3.1 billion years but is certainly no less than 2.7 billion years and no greater than 3.3 billion years. The iron abundance of Upsilon Andromedae is +0.08 (120.2% of the Sun). It is moving through the Galaxy at a speed of 39.3 km/s relative to the Sun. Its projected Galactic orbit carries it between 18,600 and 28,300 light years from the center of the Galaxy. It will come closest to the Sun 245,000 years from now when it will brighten to magnitude 3.27 from a distance of 30 light years. Upsilon Andromedae has three confirmed planets know to date (early 2012).

Sky position: RA 1h 36.8m, Dec +41° 24.6'

Common designations: Upsilon Andromedae, 50 Andromedae, HIP 7513, HD 9826, Gliese 61

Learn how to find naked-eye stars with:

Stars of the Northern Hemisphere
Deluxe Astronomy Poster Brightest stars in Andromeda:
(list all)

RankMag.Star
12.07Alpheratz
22.07Mirach
32.10Almach
43.27Delta Andromedae
53.5951 Andromedae
63.62Omicron Andromedae
73.81Lambda Andromedae
83.86Mu Andromedae
94.08Zeta Andromedae

10

| 4.10

) Upsilon Andromedae

RankMag.Star
114.15Kappa Andromedae
124.26Phi Andromedae
134.29Iota Andromedae
144.34Pi Andromedae
154.34Epsilon Andromedae
164.40Eta Andromedae
174.51Sigma Andromedae
Location of Upsilon Andromedae circled Map detail from Stars of the Northern Hemisphere
Hover over other bright stars to identify or click to jump.

Galactic Orbit of Upsilon Andromedae

(compared to the Sun)

E

ccentricity: 20.7% vs. 16.0%

Angle φ : 110.3°vs. 26.0°

Semi-major axis : 7,184 pc vs. 8,686 pc

Semi-minor axis: 7,029 pc vs. 8,574 pc

Focus-to-center

: 1,486 pcvs. 1,388 pc

Semilatus rectum : 6,877 pc vs. 8,464 pc

Perigalacticon: 5,698 pc vs. 7,297 pc

Apogalacticon

: 8,670 pcvs. 10,074 pc
  Some Tabulated XHIP Data for Upsilon Andromedae
(see also: SIMBAD)

Astrometry
2007A&A...474..653V

Position Proper Motion
Right Ascension: 24.19990403° ±0.17 mas -173.33 ±0.20 mas/yr.
Declination: 41.40638473° ±0.12 mas -381.80 ±0.13 mas/yr.
Galactic Longitude: 132.00115089° -98.86 mas/yr.
Galactic Latitude: -20.66516848° -407.48 mas/yr.

Parallax: 74.12 ± 0.19 mas

Spectrography

Spectral Type: F9V 2009ApJS..180..117A.

Radial Velocity: -28.67 ±0.10 km/s [A rating] 2002ApJS..141..503N, 2005ApJS..159..141V.
This star is a spectroscopic binary with a solved orbit.

Iron Abundance [Fe/H]: 0.08 ±0.00 dex  2011A&A...530A.138C, 2011A&A...525A..71W, 2007A&A...465..271R, 2006ApJ...652.1604B, 2006AJ....131.3069L, 2005PASJ...57...27T, 2005MNRAS.363...71H, 2005ApJS..161..444T, 2005ApJS..159..141V, 2005AJ....129.1063L, 2004A&A...420..183A, 2004A&A...418..551M, 2004A&A...415.1153S, 2003AJ....126.2015H, 2003A&A...398..363S, 1998A&A...338..623M, 1998A&A...336..942F, 1996A&A...314..191G, 1993A&A...275..101E, 1990ApJ...354..310B.
 


Photometry
 
band magnitude Abs. Mag.
U
B 4.64 3.99
V 4.10 3.45
R 3.80 3.15
I 3.50 2.85
J 3.18 2.52
H 2.96 2.31
K 2.86 2.21

B-V: +0.54 V-I: +0.60

Derivations

Heliocentric distance: 13.49 pc (0.3% margin of error)

Galactocentric distance: 7,408 pc

Transverse velocity: 26.8 km/s

3D heliocentric position and motion:

toward:   

Galactic center Galactic rotation North Galactic Pole
Position ( X, Y, Z) -8.4 pc 9.4 pc -4.8 pc
Velocity (U, V, W) 28.8 km/s -22.5 km/s -14.3 km/s

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