HD 40979
Encyclopedia
HD 40979 is a yellow-white dwarf
star
about 109 light-year
s away in the constellation
of Auriga
. The star is a member of a multiple system: it has a companion HD 40979B which shares its proper motion and is located at a projected distance of 6400 AU from the primary. HD 40979B itself has a companion (designated HD 40979C) at a projected distance of 129 AU from star B, making the system a triple.
As of 2002, there is one extrasolar planet
known to be orbiting around HD 40979A.
Yellow-white dwarf
An F-type main-sequence star is a main-sequence, hydrogen-fusing star of spectral type F and luminosity class V. These stars have from 1.0 to 1.4 times the mass of the Sun and surface temperatures between 6,000 and 7,600 K., Tables VII and VIII. This temperature range gives the F-type stars a...
star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
about 109 light-year
Light-year
A light-year, also light year or lightyear is a unit of length, equal to just under 10 trillion kilometres...
s away in the constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
of Auriga
Auriga (constellation)
Auriga is a constellation in the northern sky. Its name is Latin for 'charioteer' and its stars form a shape that has been associated with the pointed helmet of a charioteer. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains among the 88 modern...
. The star is a member of a multiple system: it has a companion HD 40979B which shares its proper motion and is located at a projected distance of 6400 AU from the primary. HD 40979B itself has a companion (designated HD 40979C) at a projected distance of 129 AU from star B, making the system a triple.
As of 2002, there is one extrasolar planet
Extrasolar planet
An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet outside the Solar System. A total of such planets have been identified as of . It is now known that a substantial fraction of stars have planets, including perhaps half of all Sun-like stars...
known to be orbiting around HD 40979A.