50 Cassiopeiae

50 Cassiopeiae

50 Cassiopeiae in optical light
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Cassiopeia
Right ascension 02h 03m 26.10206s
Declination +72° 25 16.6376
Apparent magnitude (V) +3.95
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage main sequence
Spectral type A2 V
B−V color index −0.002±0.007
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−18.2±0.9 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −43.57 mas/yr
Dec.: +22.30 mas/yr
Parallax (π)20.76±0.14 mas
Distance157 ± 1 ly
(48.2 ± 0.3 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)0.54
Details
Mass2.56±0.03 M
Radius2.5 R
Luminosity63.8+3.5
−6.4
 L
Temperature9,376+240
−235
 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]+0.18±0.28 dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)91 km/s
Other designations
50 Cas, BD+71°117, FK5 70, GC 2445, HD 12216, HIP 9598, HR 580, SAO 4560, NGC 771
Database references
SIMBADdata

50 Cassiopeiae is a white star in the northern constellation of Cassiopeia. In the past, it had been misidentified as a suspected nebula, and given the number NGC 771. The star is visible to the naked eye, having an apparent visual magnitude of +3.95. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 20.76 mas, it is located 157 light years away. It is moving closer, having a heliocentric radial velocity of −18 km/s, and will approach to within 82 ly in 1.879 million years.

It is an A-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of A2 V. It is a suspected variable star with a very small amplitude. 50 Cas has an estimated 2.56 times the mass of the Sun, and about 2.5 times the Sun's radius. It is radiating 64 times the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of around 9,376 K.

The star was the brightest star in the occasionally used 1775 to 19th century constellation Custos Messium, typically drawn as a depiction of Charles Messier standing on top of the giraffe (Camelopardalis), between Cepheus and Cassiopeia.