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Iota Leonis

ι Leonis
Diagram showing star positions and boundaries of the Leo constellation and its surroundings
Cercle rouge 100%.svg

Location of ι Leonis (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Leo
Right ascension 11h 23m 55.45273s
Declination +10° 31′ 46.2195″
Apparent magnitude (V) 4.00
Characteristics
Spectral type F4 IV
U−B color index +1.420
B−V color index +0.456
Variable type Suspected
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv) −10.3 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: +141.45 mas/yr
Dec.: −79.14 mas/yr
Parallax (π) 41.26 ± 1.16mas
Distance 79 ± 2 ly
(24.2 ± 0.7 pc)
Orbit
Primary ι Leo A
Companion ι Leo B
Period (P) 186 yr
Semi-major axis (a) 1.91″
Eccentricity (e) 0.53
Inclination (i) 128°
Longitude of the node (Ω) 235°
Periastron epoch (T) B 1948.8
Argument of periastron (ω)
(secondary)
325°
Details
Mass 1.62−1.70 M
Radius 2.1 R
Luminosity 11.5 L
Surface gravity (log g) 3.98 cgs
Temperature 6,739 K
Metallicity [Fe/H] 0.06 dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i) 16 km/s
Age 1.7 Gyr
Other designations
78 Leonis, BD+11 2348, HD 99028, HIP 55642, HR 4399, SAO 99587.
Database references
SIMBAD data

Iota Leonis (ι Leonis, abbreviated to ι Leo), is a triple star system in the constellation Leo. The system is fairly close, at only 79 light-years (24.2 parsecs) away, based on its parallax. The system has a combined apparent magnitude of 4.00 making it faintly visible to the naked eye.

Iota Leonis has a spectral type of F3IV. It is a spectroscopic binary, which means it is a binary star with components that are too close together to be able to resolve individually through a telescope. In this case, light from only the primary star can be detected, and it is considered single-lined.

The third component in the star system is designated Iota Leonis B. It orbits the central pair almost every 200 years, and with its perihelion passage in 1948, the separation between the two is steadily growing. Iota Leonis B has a mass approximately 8% greater than that of the Sun. It is a G-type main-sequence star, like the Sun.

In Chinese, 太微右垣 (Tài Wēi Yòu Yuán), meaning Right Wall of Supreme Palace Enclosure, refers to an asterism consisting of ι Leonis, β Virginis, σ Leonis, θ Leonis and δ Leonis. Consequently, ι Leonis itself is known as 太微右垣三 (Tài Wēi Zuǒ Yuán sān, English: the Third Star of Right Wall of Supreme Palace Enclosure.), representing 西次將 (Xīcìjiāng), meaning The Second Western General. 西次將 (Xīcìjiāng), spelled Tsze Tseang by R.H. Allen, means "the Second General"


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