Pi2 Ursae Minoris

Pi2 Ursae Minoris
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Ursa Minor
Right ascension 15h 39m 38.61131s
Declination +79° 58′ 59.5495″
Apparent magnitude (V) 6.89 (7.32 + 8.15)
Characteristics
Spectral type F1V + G0
B−V color index 0.392±0.015
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−32.10±1.8 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −32.643 mas/yr
Dec.: 41.425 mas/yr
Parallax (π)8.1090±0.2844 mas
Distance400 ± 10 ly
(123 ± 4 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)1.69±0.08
Orbit
Period (P)171.62±8.68 yr
Semi-major axis (a)0.464±0.083
Eccentricity (e)0.961±0.014
Inclination (i)135.2±10.5°
Longitude of the node (Ω)123.4±32.6°
Periastron epoch (T)1904.15±2.89
Argument of periastron (ω)
(secondary)
274.0±22.4°
Details
Mass1.87 M
Radius3.82+0.59
−1.27
 R
Luminosity16.5±0.7 L
Temperature6,858±80 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]+0.09 dex
Age1.20 Gyr
Other designations
π2 UMi, 18 Ursae Minoris, BD+80°487, HD 141652, HIP 76695, SAO 2588, WDS J15396+7959AB
Database references
SIMBADdata

Pi2 Ursae Minoris, which is Latinized from π2 UMi / π2 Ursae Minoris, is a binary star system in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. The pair have a combined apparent visual magnitude of 6.89, which can be viewed with a pair of binoculars. They are located at a distance of approximately 400 light years from the Sun based on parallax, but are drifting closer with a radial velocity of −32 km/s.

This star was found to be a double system by O. Struve in 1832, and the pair have now completed a full orbit. There is a lot of scatter in the data though, so the grade of the orbital elements is rated as poor. The system has a high eccentricity of 0.96 and they orbit each other with a period of roughly 172 years. The magnitude 7.32 primary is an F-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of F1V. The fainter secondary has a magnitude of 8.15 and is G-type star. At present the angular separation between both stars is 0.67 arcseconds [1].