R Puppis

R Puppis is a variable star in the constellation Puppis. It is a rare yellow hypergiant and a candidate member of the open cluster NGC 2439. It is also an MK spectral standard for the class G2 0-Ia.[9]

R Puppis
Location of R Puppis (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
ConstellationPuppis
Right ascension07h 40m 52.597s[1]
Declination−31° 39′ 40.20″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V)6.50 - 6.71[2]
Characteristics
Spectral typeG2 0-Ia[3]
U−B color index+0.85[4]
B−V color index+1.18[4]
Variable typeSRd[2]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)+68.22[1] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −2.251[1] mas/yr
Dec.: +3.222[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)0.2440 ± 0.0180 mas[1]
Distance13,400 ± 1,000 ly
(4,100 ± 300 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)−7.8[5]
Details
Mass14.3[6] M
Radius477+28
−22
[7] R
Luminosity96,600±26,100[7] L
Surface gravity (log g)0.30[8] cgs
Temperature5,495; (4,100±68 – 6,500)[8] K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.25[8] dex
Other designations
CD−31°4910, GSC 07106-03582, HIP 37415, HR 2974, HD 62058
Database references
SIMBADdata
NGC 2439, with R Puppis the brightest star

Variability

A visual band light curve for R Puppis, plotted from ASAS data[10]

R Puppis was identified as a variable star in 1879, and described as having a range of over a magnitude.[11] Numerous observations over the following 100 years failed to confirm the variations, until the 1970s when clear brightness changes were observed.[12] These were confirmed by later observations, but with a total visual amplitude of only about 0.2 magnitudes.[11]

Variable stars such as R Puppis have been described as pseudo-Cepheids, because they lie above the high-luminosity portion of the instability strip and their variations are similar to those of Cepheids although less regular.[11] R Puppis is formally classified as a semiregular variable of type SRd, meaning F, G, or K giants or supergiants.[2]

References