Mu-1 Cancri
Encyclopedia
Mu¹ Cancri is a red giant
star approximately 561 light-year
s away from the Solar System, in the constellation
Cancer
. The name Mu¹ comes from the Bayer naming system
: the "1" in the name is because (from Earth
) it appears to be close to 10 Cancri (Mu² Cancri).
Mu¹ Cancri is a variable star
and was also given the variable-star designation BL Cancri. It may be a Mira variable
.
Red giant
A red giant is a luminous giant star of low or intermediate mass in a late phase of stellar evolution. The outer atmosphere is inflated and tenuous, making the radius immense and the surface temperature low, somewhere from 5,000 K and lower...
star approximately 561 light-year
Light-year
A light-year, also light year or lightyear is a unit of length, equal to just under 10 trillion kilometres...
s away from the Solar System, in the constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
Cancer
Cancer (constellation)
Cancer is one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for crab and it is commonly represented as such. Its symbol is . Cancer is small and its stars are faint...
. The name Mu¹ comes from the Bayer naming system
Bayer designation
A Bayer designation is a stellar designation in which a specific star is identified by a Greek letter, followed by the genitive form of its parent constellation's Latin name...
: the "1" in the name is because (from Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
) it appears to be close to 10 Cancri (Mu² Cancri).
Mu¹ Cancri is a variable star
Variable star
A star is classified as variable if its apparent magnitude as seen from Earth changes over time, whether the changes are due to variations in the star's actual luminosity, or to variations in the amount of the star's light that is blocked from reaching Earth...
and was also given the variable-star designation BL Cancri. It may be a Mira variable
Mira variable
Mira variables , named after the star Mira, are a class of pulsating variable stars characterized by very red colors, pulsation periods longer than 100 days, and light amplitudes greater than one magnitude in infrared and 2.5 magnitude in visual...
.
See also
- Mu² Cancri
- R HorologiiR HorologiiR Horologii is a red giant star approximately 100 light-years away in the constellation Horologium. It is also a Mira variable with a period of 407.6 days, and has one of the largest magnitude ranges known .- External links :* *...
- Gamma CrucisGamma CrucisGamma Crucis , often called Gacrux, is a red giant star approximately 88 light-years away in the constellation of Crux. Among Portuguese-speaking peoples it is also named "Rubídea" , in reference to its color. The star is the third-brightest star in Crux and one of the brightest stars in the...
- MiraMiraMira also known as Omicron Ceti , is a red giant star estimated 200-400 light years away in the constellation Cetus. Mira is a binary star, consisting of the red giant Mira A along with Mira B. Mira A is also an oscillating variable star and was the first non-supernova variable star discovered,...