42_Capricorni
42 Capricorni
Binary star system in the constellation Capricornus
42 Capricorni is a binary star[11] system in the zodiac constellation of Capricornus. It has a combined apparent visual magnitude of 5.18,[3] so it is faintly visible to the naked eye. Its annual parallax shift of 30.09 mas yields a distance estimate of about 108 light years; the system is moving closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of −1.2 km/s.[6] 42 Capricorni is 0.2 degree south of the ecliptic and so is subject to lunar occultations.[12]
This is a double-lined close spectroscopic binary with an orbital period of 13.174 days and an eccentricity of 0.18.[8] The binary nature of this system was discovered in 1918 by the English astronomer Joseph Lunt. It has a combined spectrum that matches a stellar classification of G1 IV,[4] with the individual components having estimated classes of G1 V and G2 V. This is an RS Canum Venaticorum variable, indicating the presence of an active chromosphere with star spots.[5] The system is a source of X-ray emission.[13]