Gamma Andromedae

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|- ! 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

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|} Gamma Andromedae (γ And / γ Andromedae) is a four star system in the constellation Andromeda. It is also known by the traditional name Almach (also written as Almaach, Almak, Alamak).

In small telescopes, γ Andromedae can be easily resolved as a double star, and is said to be a very interesting and beautiful sight for amateur astronomers. The main star (γ¹) is a magnitude +2.13 orange bright giant (spectral type K3 IIb). The companion (γ²) with a magnitude of +4.84 is 9.6 arc seconds away at a position angle of 63 degrees.

Interestingly, γ² itself can be resolved as a double star with much larger telescopes. Its two components are a B8 main sequence dwarf (magnitude +5.1), and an A0 dwarf (magnitude +6.3). They have an orbital period of 61 years. The brighter of these is known to be a spectroscopic binary itself, with an orbital period of 2.67 days. Thus γ² is a triple star.

In fiction

References

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