Iota Lyrae

Iota Lyrae

A light curve for Iota Lyrae, plotted from TESS data
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation Lyra
Right ascension 19h 07m 18.13251s
Declination +36° 06 00.5592
Apparent magnitude (V) 5.22
Characteristics
Spectral type B6IV
Variable type Be star
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−26.0±4.6 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −1.437 mas/yr
Dec.: −3.876 mas/yr
Parallax (π)3.5858±0.1924 mas
Distance910 ± 50 ly
(280 ± 10 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)−1.94
Orbit
Period (P)216.93 yr
Semi-major axis (a)0.172″
Eccentricity (e)0.637
Inclination (i)145.5°
Longitude of the node (Ω)171.4°
Periastron epoch (T)B 1997.28
Argument of periastron (ω)
(secondary)
201.2°
Details
Mass5.2 M
Radius6.7 R
Luminosity854 L
Surface gravity (log g)3.54 cgs
Temperature12,059 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.11 dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)224 km/s
Age168 Myr
Other designations
ι Lyr, 18 Lyr, BD+35°3485, GC 26338, HD 178475, HIP 93903, HR 7262, SAO 67834, WDS 19073+3606, GSC 02652-01709
Database references
SIMBADdata

ι Lyrae, Latinised as Iota Lyrae, is a binary star in the northern constellation of Lyra. It is visible to the naked eye as a dim, blue-white hued star with an apparent visual magnitude that fluctuates around 5.22. This object is located approximately 910 light years distant from the Sun based on parallax, but is drifting nearer with a radial velocity of −26 km/s.

This is a wide binary system with a computed orbital period of 217 years and an eccentricity of 0.6. The primary component has a stellar classification of B6IV, matching a B-type subgiant star. It is a Be star, displaying emission lines in its spectrum, and is spinning rapidly with a projected rotational velocity of 224 km/s. The star ranges in brightness from magnitude 5.20 down to 5.27. It has about five times the mass of the Sun and is radiating 854 times the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 12,059 K.