Phi Herculis

Phi Herculis

φ Herculis in optical light
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation Hercules
Right ascension 16h 08m 46.17745s
Declination +44° 56 05.6663
Apparent magnitude (V) 4.24
Characteristics
Spectral type B9VspHgMn + A8V
U−B color index −0.23
B−V color index −0.06
Variable type α2 CVn?
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−16.3±0.4 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −26.63 mas/yr
Dec.: +36.76 mas/yr
Parallax (π)15.99±0.45 mas
Distance204 ± 6 ly
(63 ± 2 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)A: 0.100 ± 0.059
B: 2.670 ± 0.074
Orbit
Period (P)564.834±0.038 d
Semi-major axis (a)32.027±0.028 mas
Eccentricity (e)0.52614±0.00086
Inclination (i)9.1±0.4°
Longitude of the node (Ω)190.4±1.4°
Periastron epoch (T)2450121.43 ± 0.20 JD
Argument of periastron (ω)
(secondary)
350.3±1.4°
Semi-amplitude (K1)
(primary)
2.772±0.073 km/s
Semi-amplitude (K2)
(secondary)
8.1 km/s
Details
φ Her A
Mass3.05±0.24 M
Luminosity72 L
Surface gravity (log g)4.05±0.15 cgs
Temperature11,525±150 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.03 dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)8.0±1.0 km/s
Age210 Myr
φ Her B
Mass1.614±0.066 M
Surface gravity (log g)4.30±0.15 cgs
Temperature8,000±150 K
Rotational velocity (v sin i)50.0±3.0 km/s
Other designations
φ Her, 11 Her, BD+45°2376, FK5 601, HD 145389, HIP 79101, HR 6023, SAO 45911.
Database references
SIMBADdata

Phi Herculis (φ Her) is a binary star system in the northern constellation of Hercules. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 15.99 mas as seen from Earth, it is located around 204 light years from the Sun. With a combined apparent visual magnitude of 4.24, it is bright enough to be seen with the naked eye.

This is a single-lined spectroscopic binary star system with an orbital period of 564.8 days and an eccentricity of 0.526. The primary, component A, is a B-type main sequence star with a stellar classification of B9VspHgMn. It is a chemically peculiar star of the type called a mercury-manganese star. The star is tentatively catalogued as an Alpha2 Canum Venaticorum variable, with brightness variations of just 0.01 magnitudes.

The secondary, component B, was first separated via interferometry in 2004. It is an A-type main sequence star of class A8V. The magnitude difference between the two components is 2.64.