Epsilon Aurigae

Encyclopedia : E : EP : EPS : Epsilon Aurigae

|- ! style="background-color: #FFFFC0;" colspan="2" | Details |- |style="vertical-align: baseline;" | Mass | M_☉ |- |style="vertical-align: baseline;" | Radius | R_☉ |- |style="vertical-align: baseline;" | Luminosity | L_☉ |- |style="vertical-align: baseline;" | Temperature | K |- |style="vertical-align: baseline;" | Metallicity | |- |style="vertical-align: baseline;" | Rotation | |- |style="vertical-align: baseline;" | Age | })<()or(}})=()and(}})<())}}} years

Haldus, Almaaz, Al Anz, 7 Aurigae, HR 1605, BD +43°1166, HD 31964, SAO 39955, FK5 183, GC 6123, ADS 3605, CCDM 05020+4350, HIP 23416.

|} Epsilon Aurigae (ε Aur / ε Aurigae) is a star in the constellation Auriga. It also has the traditional names Haldus, Almaaz, or Al Anz.

Epsilon Aurigae is an eclipsing binary, whose brightness varies between +3.0mag and +3.8mag with a period of about 9890 days (~27.1 years).

The visible component belongs to the spectral class F0 and is approximately 2000 light years distant. Its diameter corresponds to about 100 solar diameters. The other (eclipsing) component is not visible.

The most-favored speculation is that it consists of one or two small stars with a ring of opaque dust set nearly edge-on, producing the observed eclipses of 2 years' duration.
The alternate hypothesis is that it is immense, but of low density, and thus semi-transparent.

The next such eclipse occurs from 2009-2011, and it is hoped that the extensive observations that will likely be carried out may yield further insights into the nature of this system.

External links

[David Darling's encyclopedia]
[Epsilon Aurigae] article by Dr. Jim Kaler.
[The coming eclipse of epsilon Aurigae] by Professor Stencel.

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