14 Comae Berenices

14 Comae Berenices
Location of 14 Com (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Coma Berenices
Right ascension 12h 26m 24.06461s
Declination +27° 16 05.6845
Apparent magnitude (V) 4.95
Characteristics
Spectral type F0p
U−B color index +0.18
B−V color index +0.277±0.018
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−2.20 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −16.010 mas/yr
Dec.: −13.412 mas/yr
Parallax (π)12.2564±0.2329 mas
Distance266 ± 5 ly
(82 ± 2 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)+0.35
Details
Mass2.4 M
Radius23 R
Luminosity76.01 L
Surface gravity (log g)3.4 cgs
Temperature7,300 K
Rotational velocity (v sin i)226 km/s
Age500 Myr
Other designations
14 Com, AAVSO 1221+27, BD+28°2115, FK5 2997, HD 108283, HIP 60697, HR 4733, SAO 82310
Database references
SIMBADdata

14 Comae Berenices is a single star in the northern constellation of Coma Berenices, and is the second brightest member of the Coma Star Cluster. It is a faint star but visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.95. Parallax measurements place the star at a distance of about 266 light years.

The spectrum of this star is peculiar and it has been assigned a number of different stellar classifications: A5, F0p, F0 III Sr, F0 vp, F1 IV: np Sr shell, A9 IV np Sr II, F1 IV, and A9 V + shell. Abt & Morrell (1995) designated this a Lambda Boötis star but this was later refuted. No surface magnetic field has been detected on 14 Comae Bernices.

14 Comae Berenices is a well-known shell star with a high rate of spin, showing a projected rotational velocity of 226 km/s. This is giving the star an oblate shape with an equatorial bulge that is 12% larger than the polar radius. It is radiating 76 times the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 7,300 K.