Mu Arae (μ Arae, abbreviated μ Ara), also known as HD 160691 is a star Subgigante yellow-orange type G similar to our sun . It is approximately 49.8 light years distant and is in the constellation Ara (Spanish: the Altar). Its apparent magnitude is +5.12, which makes it visible to the naked eye. It is estimated to be 108% the mass of the Sun and may be 32% larger. According to data obtained by the Hipparcos satellite, it shows a parallax of 65.46 milliseconds of arc. It is about 1.7 times the luminosity of the Sun and is suspected to be older, moving into the subgiant phase of its stellar evolution. μ Arae is rich in metals, much more so than the Sun.
Four extrasolar planets have been discovered orbiting μ Arae, including one believed to be the first rocky planet discovered around a main sequence star.
Summary
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- 1 Features
- 2 Description
- 3 Extrasolar planet orbiting Mu Arae
- 4 Source
Characteristics
It is approximately 49.8 light years distant and is located in the constellation Ara (Spanish: the Altar).
Description
Its apparent magnitude is +5.12, which makes it visible to the naked eye. It is estimated to be 108% the mass of the Sun and may be 32% larger.
According to data obtained by the Hipparcos satellite, it shows a parallax of 65.46 milliseconds of arc. It is about 1.7 times the luminosity of the Sun and is suspected to be older, moving into the subgiant phase of its stellar evolution. Mu Arae is rich in metals, much more than the sun .
Extrasolar planet in orbit around Mu Arae
Four extrasolar planets have been discovered orbiting Mu Arae, including one believed to be the first rocky planet discovered around a main sequence star.
- Mu Arae b. The discovery of this planet was announced on December 12, 2002 . It is 1.5 times the mass of Jupiter and orbits around the habitable zone. Its orbital period is 650 days.
- Mu Arae c. It was discovered on June 13, 2002 . It is a gas giant three times the mass of Jupiter , and has a highly eccentric orbit that causes its distance to the star to vary dramatically.
- Mu Arae d. Its discovery was announced on August 25, 2004 . Its minimum mass is only 14 times that of Earth and it orbits very close to Mu Arae, completing one revolution every 9.5 days.
- Mu Arae e. Its discovery was announced in Augustof the 2006 , is a planet about half the mass of Jupiter . It orbits at a distance of approximately 0.921 AU and its orbital period is 310.55 days.