RU Ursae Minoris

RU Ursae Minoris

A light curve for RU Ursae Minoris, plotted from TESS data
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Ursa Minor
Right ascension 13h 38m 56.8159s
Declination +69° 48′ 11.1694″
Apparent magnitude (V) 10 - 10.66
Characteristics
Spectral type F0 IV/V + K5V
Astrometry
Proper motion (μ) RA: 17.253±0.056 mas/yr
Dec.: −5.004±0.049 mas/yr
Parallax (π)3.5007±0.0317 mas
Distance932 ± 8 ly
(286 ± 3 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)2.45 ± 0.12 (A)
5.88 ± 0.19 (B)
Absolute bolometric
magnitude
 (Mbol)
2.48 ± 0.12 (A)
5.37 ± 0.19 (B)
Orbit
Period (P)0.52492555(1) d
Semi-major axis (a)3.99 ± 0.02 R
Inclination (i)82.33 ± 0.05°
Periastron epoch (T)JD 2441596.33645(6)
Details
RU UMi A
Mass2.32 ± 0.07 M
Radius1.78 ± 0.02 R
Luminosity7.63 ± 0.87 L
Surface gravity (log g)4.30 ± 0.02 cgs
Temperature7200 ± 200 K
RU UMi B
Mass0.76 ± 0.02 M
Radius1.14 ± 0.02 R
Luminosity0.54 ± 0.10 L
Surface gravity (log g)4.20 ± 0.02 cgs
Temperature4630 ± 200 K
Other designations
BD+70°751, TYC 4402-504-1, 2MASS J13385680+6948111, Gaia DR2 1686621699950649344
Database references
SIMBADdata

RU Ursae Minoris is a binary star system in the constellation Ursa Minor. In 1960, Walter Strohmeier and Rüdiger Knigge announced their discovery that the star is a variable star. Its apparent magnitude ranges from 10 to 10.66 over 0.52 days as one star passes in front of the other relative to observers on Earth. Its component stars were calculated to be a primary star of spectral type F0IV/V and a secondary of spectral type K5V, both slightly more luminous than their spectral types indicate. The system is semidetached, as the secondary star is filling its Roche lobe and transferring matter to the primary. The primary is between 2.2 and 2.3 times as massive as the Sun, with 1.8 times its radius and around 8 times its luminosity. The secondary has around 0.72 times the Sun's mass, 1.1 times its radius and between 0.58 and 0.86 times its luminosity.

The period the two take to orbit each other is decreasing very slowly (by approximately 0.15 seconds per year), suggesting the components are moving closer and will become a contact binary.