A0620-00

A0620-00

A visual band light curve for V616 Monocerotis, adapted from van Grunsven et al. (2017)
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Monoceros
Right ascension 06h 22m 44.542s
Declination −00° 20 44.29
Apparent magnitude (V) 11.2
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage Black hole + main sequence
Spectral type K2 V
Variable type X-ray nova, Ellipsoidal
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−5±12 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −0.439 mas/yr
Dec.: −5.138 mas/yr
Parallax (π)0.6969±0.1168 mas
Distanceapprox. 4,700 ly
(approx. 1,400 pc)
Orbit
Period (P)7.75234 ± 0.00010 hr
Inclination (i)50.98 ± 0.87°
Periastron epoch (T)JD 2446082.7481 ± 0.0008
Semi-amplitude (K1)
(primary)
457 ± 8 km/s
Details
Black hole
Mass5.86±1.24 M
Star
Mass0.34±0.03 M
Radius1.057 R
Luminosity0.44 L
Surface gravity (log g)5.0 cgs
Temperature5,000 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]0.0 dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)83.8±1.9 km/s
Other designations
1A 0620-00, INTREF 297, Nova Mon 1917, Nova Mon 1975, Mon X-1, V616 Mon
Database references
SIMBADdata

A0620-00 (abbreviated from 1A 0620-00) is a binary star system in the constellation of Monoceros, with an apparent magnitude of 11.2.

A0620-00 consists of two objects. The first object is a K-type main-sequence star. The second object cannot be seen, but based on its calculated mass of about 6 M, it is too massive to be a neutron star and must therefore be a stellar-mass black hole. The two objects orbit each other every 7.75 hours. At a distance of roughly 3,300 light-years (1,000 parsecs) away, the black hole of A0620-00 would be one of the nearest known black holes to the Solar System, closer than GRO J1655-40.

A0620-00 has undergone two X-ray outbreaks. The first one was in 1917. The second burst, in 1975, was detected by the Ariel 5 satellite. During that time, A0620-00 was the brightest X-ray point source. It is now classified as an X-ray nova. Its black hole nature was determined in 1986.

The black hole in A0620-00 pulls matter from the K-type star into an accretion disk. The accretion disk emits significant amounts of visible light and X-rays. Because the K-type star has been pulled into an ellipsoidal shape, the amount of surface area visible, and thus the apparent brightness, changes from the Earth's perspective. A0620-00 also bears the variable star designation V616 Monocerotis.