Packed with Star Data

Below we have samples of some of the star data available in Stars in the NeighborHood™ software.

Epsilon Tauri

In the middle of the Hyades cluster, Epsilon Tauri stands 42.4 parsecs (138 light years) from Sol (our sun).

The star is known by a variety of names including, 74 Tauri, HD 28305, HR 1409, SAO 93954, BD +18° 640, and its cluster designation Mel 25 #70.

The Star Data panel includes not only identity and position information, but emission and orbital information (where applicable and available). And it includes the occasional "Hot News Flash," like the news that a planet has been found orbiting this star.

HD 131976

Also known as Gliese 570 B, this star will not always be associated with Gliese 570 A. Why? As you can tell from the "Hot News Flash," this star is an intruder. Its orbit is hyperbolic, which means that it is just passing through the system. Such an intrusion is disruptive. If there are planets in either system, their orbits would be changed or destroyed by such an encounter.

Gliese 127 B

Most of the stars in the galaxy belong to multiple systems—2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or more in stable relatively permanent orbits. Of course, it only takes one intruder like that mentioned above for HD 131976 to upset the careful balance within a system.

Gliese 127 B stands 17.7 parsecs (57.7 light years) from Earth and our sun. The brighter star in a system or sub-system is always called the "primary." Those of lesser brightness are called "secondaries." And for many such secondaries, we have estimated orbits. Here the orbital period is 314 years. We don't have enough data to pinpoint the eccentricity (the circularity) of the orbit. The semi-major axis of the orbit (the long axis of the ellipse) is 4.36 seconds of arc in length, but this is a preliminary estimate. In another century or so, we'll have a better fix on the orbital parameters.

Not only do we have some orbital information on this star, we also know that it is a variable star with a maximum visual magnitude of 7 and a minimum of 9.03—a greater than 2 magnitude difference.