Alpha Lyncis
Alpha Lyncis (α Lyn, α Lyncis) is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Lynx with an apparent magnitude of +3.13. Unusually, it is the only star in the constellation that has a Bayer designation. Based upon parallax measurements, this star is located about 203 light-years (62 parsecs) from the Earth.
| Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Lynx |
| Right ascension | 09h 21m 03.30074s |
| Declination | +34° 23′ 33.2245″ |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +3.14 |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | K7 III |
| U−B color index | +1.95 |
| B−V color index | +1.55 |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | 37.15 km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: –223.63 mas/yr Dec.: 15.18 mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 16.06 ± 0.17 mas |
| Distance | 203 ± 2 ly (62.3 ± 0.7 pc) |
| Absolute bolometric magnitude (Mbol) | –2.32 ± 0.13 |
| Details | |
| Mass | ~2 M☉ |
| Radius | 54.50 ± 3.02 R☉ |
| Luminosity | 673 ± 83 L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 1.5 cgs |
| Temperature | 3,882 K |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | –0.26 dex |
| Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 6.4 km/s |
| Age | 1.4 Gyr |
| Other designations | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
This is a giant star that has exhausted the hydrogen at its core and has evolved away from the main sequence. It has expanded to about 55 times the Sun's radius and it is emitting roughly 673 times the luminosity of the Sun. The estimated effective temperature of the star's outer envelope is 3,882 K, which is lower than the Sun's effective temperature of 5,778 K, and is giving Alpha Lyncis an orange hue that is characteristic of K-type stars.
Alpha Lyncis is a suspected small-amplitude red variable star that changes apparent magnitude from +3.17 up to +3.12. This variability pattern typically occurs in stars that have developed an inert carbon core surrounded by a helium-fusing shell, and suggests that Alpha Lyncis is starting to evolve into a Mira-type variable.