66 Andromedae

66 Andromedae
Location of 66 Andromedae (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Andromeda
Right ascension 02h 27m 51.77815s
Declination +50° 34 11.9081
Apparent magnitude (V) 6.16 (7.26/7.46)
Characteristics
Spectral type F4 V
B−V color index 0.435 (4.2/4.5)
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−5.3±4.3 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: +31.700 mas/yr
Dec.: −90.312 mas/yr
Parallax (π)18.2931±0.0416 mas
Distance178.3 ± 0.4 ly
(54.7 ± 0.1 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)3.1±0.1/3.4±0.1
Orbit
Period (P)10.989861±0.000024 d
Semi-major axis (a) 6.9 Gm (9.9 R)
Eccentricity (e)0.19236±0.00057
Periastron epoch (T)2,454,007.675±0.006 JD
Argument of periastron (ω)
(secondary)
250.55±0.18°
Semi-amplitude (K1)
(primary)
46.719±0.034 km/s
Semi-amplitude (K2)
(secondary)
48.083±0.038 km/s
Details
66 And A
Mass1.38 M
Radius1.7±0.1 R
Luminosity4.9±0.5 L
Surface gravity (log g)4.21 cgs
Temperature6,627±225 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.14±0.08 dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)4.2±1.0 km/s
Age1.273 Gyr
66 And B
Radius1.5±0.1 R
Luminosity3.8±0.4 L
Rotational velocity (v sin i)4.4±1.0 km/s
Other designations
66 And, BD+49°666, HD 15138, HIP 11465, HR 709, SAO 23353, PPM 27645
Database references
SIMBADdata

66 Andromedae is a binary star system in the northern constellation of Andromeda, near the northern border with Perseus. The designation is from the star catalogue of English astronomer John Flamsteed, first published in 1712. It has a combined apparent magnitude of 6.16, which is near the lower limit of stars that are visible to the naked eye under good seeing conditions. An annual parallax shift of 18.3 mas provides a distance estimate of 178 light years. The net radial velocity of the system is poorly constrained, but the pair appear to be moving closer to the Earth with a heliocentric radial velocity of around −5 km/s.

The variable velocity of this system was reported by Reynold K. Young from the David Dunlap Observatory in 1945. This is a double-lined spectroscopic binary system with an orbital period of 11 days and an eccentricity of 0.19. The two components are similar stars, each of 7th magnitude, with a combined stellar classification of F4 V, matching that of an F-type main sequence star. The system is around 1.3 billion years old and both stars are spinning slowly with a projected rotational velocity of around 4–5 km/s.