IU Aurigae
| Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Auriga |
| Right ascension | 05h 27m 52.40539s |
| Declination | +34° 46′ 58.3435″ |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 8.19 to 8.83 |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | B0p + B1Vp + ? |
| U−B color index | -0.66 |
| B−V color index | 0.18 |
| Variable type | Eclipsing binary |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | 9 ± 5 km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: −4.479 mas/yr Dec.: -9.049 mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 0.4786±0.5765 mas |
| Other designations | |
| IU Aur, BD+34°1051, HD 35652, HIP 25565, SAO 58059, PPM 70395 | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
IU Aurigae is a triple star system in the constellation Auriga, consisting of an eclipsing binary pair orbiting a third component with a period of 335 years. This system is too faint to be viewed with the naked eye, having a peak apparent visual magnitude of 8.19.
Pavel Mayer discovered that the star's brightness varies in 1964. The eclipsing pair form a Beta Lyrae-type semidetached binary of two Bp stars with a period of 1.81147435 days. During the primary eclipse, the visual magnitude of the system drops to 8.89, while for the secondary it decreases to 8.74. The third component is a massive object with 17–18 M☉, and may actually be a binary – which would make this a quadruple star system.