Xi Cancri

ξ Cancri

Observation data Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation	Cancer
Right ascension	09^h09^m21.5^s
Declination	+22°02′44″
Apparent magnitude (V)	+5.16
Distance	381 ± 38 ly (117 ± 12 pc)
Spectral type	G9IIIFe-1CH-0.5
Other designations
77 Cancri, HR 3627, HD 78515, BD+22°2061, FK5 1239, HIP 44946, SAO 80666, GC 12635, CCDM 09094+2203

Xi Cancri (ξ Cnc, ξ Cancri) is a spectroscopic binary in the constellation Cancer. It is approximately 381 light years from Earth.

Name

This star, along with λ Leo (Alterf), were the Persian Nahn, "the Nose", and the Coptic Piautos, "the Eye", both lunar asterisms.^[1]

Nahn was the title of this star in the catalogue of stars in Technical Memorandum 33-507 - A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars.^[2]

Structure

The primary component, ξ Cancri A, is a yellow G-type giant with an apparent magnitude of +5.16. Its companion, ξ Cancri B, is 0.1 arcseconds from the primary. The two stars complete one orbit about their common centre of mass once every 4.66 years with an eccentricity of 0.07.^[3]

References

1. Allen, R. H. (1963). Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning (Reprint ed.). New York, NY: Dover Publications Inc. p. 114. ISBN 0-486-21079-0. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
2. Jack W. Rhoads - Technical Memorandum 33-507-A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology; November 15, 1971
3. Jackson, E. S.; Shane, W. W.; Lynds, Beverly T. (May 1957), "The Orbits of the Spectroscopic Binaries Omicron Tauri, Xi Cancri, and Mu Ursae Majories", Astrophysical Journal, 125: 712, Bibcode:1957ApJ...125..712J, doi:10.1086/146345