Tau1 Serpentis

τ1 Serpentis

A light curve for Tau1 Serpentis, plotted from Hipparcos data
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation Serpens
Right ascension 15h 25m 47.39664s
Declination +15° 25 40.9307
Apparent magnitude (V) 5.16 (5.13 to 5.20)
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage AGB
Spectral type M1III
U−B color index +1.95
B−V color index +1.650±0.006
R−I color index +1.04
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−16.51±0.23 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −12.467 mas/yr
Dec.: −7.740 mas/yr
Parallax (π)3.3030±0.1988 mas
Distance990 ± 60 ly
(300 ± 20 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)−1.45
Details
Mass2.3 M
Radius99+7
−14
 R
Luminosity2,158±149 L
Surface gravity (log g)1.07±0.18 cgs
Temperature3,954+309
−132
 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]0.05±0.06 dex
Age933 Myr
Other designations
τ1 Ser, 9 Serpentis, NSV 7074, BD+15°2858, FK5 570, GC 20740, HD 137471, HIP 75530, HR 5739, SAO 101545
Database references
SIMBADdata

Tau1 Serpentis, Latinized from τ1 Serpentis, is a single star in the Caput (Head) segment of the equatorial constellation of Serpens. It is a red hued star that is dimly visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 5.16. Based upon parallax measurements, this star is located at a distance of approximately 990 light years from the Sun, while it is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −16.5 km/s.

This object is an aging red giant star, currently on the asymptotic giant branch, with a stellar classification of M1III. Having exhausted the supply of hydrogen at its core, it has cooled and expanded until it has around 99 times the girth of the Sun. It is a suspected variable star with a brightness that has been measured varying from magnitude 5.13 down to 5.20. The Hipparcos data for Tau1 Serpentis shows brightness variations with a period of 6.4675 days, and an amplitude of 0.0066 magnitudes. The star is radiating 2,158 times the luminosity of the Sun from its swollen photosphere at an effective temperature of 3,954 K.