Ross 614
Encyclopedia
Ross 614 or Gliese 234A is a red dwarf
UV Cetiflare star
and it is the primary member of a nearby binary star
system in the constellation of Monoceros
. This star has an magnitude
of about 11, making it invisible to the unaided eye even though it is one of the stars nearest to the sun. This system is among the closest to our Sun
at an estimated distance of about 13.3 light years. Because this star is so close to the Earth it is often the subject of study, hence the large number of designations by which it is known.
M-type
stars. The secondary star is a dim magnitude
14 lost in the glare of the nearby primary star.
The most recent determination of the system orbital elements comes from a study by George Gatewood using older sources along with data from the Hipparcos
satellite. This study yielded an orbital period of about 16.6 years and a semi-major axis separation of about 1.1 arc seconds.
using the 40 in (101.6 cm) refractor telescope at the Yerkes Observatory
. He noticed the high proper motion
of this dim 11th magnitude star in his second-epoch plates that were part of an astronomical survey started by E. E. Barnard, his predecessor at the observatory. Ross then included this new star in his eponymous catalog along with many others he discovered.
The first detection of a binary system was in 1936 by Dirk Reuyl
using the 26-in refractor telescope of the McCormick Observatory
at the University of Virginia
using astrometric
analysis of photographic plates. In 1951 Sarah L. Lippincott made the first reasonably accurate predictions of the position of the secondary star using the 24 in (61 cm) refractor telescope of the Sproul Observatory
. These calculations were used by Walter Baade
to find and optically resolve this binary system for the first time using the then new 5 m (196.9 in) Hale Telescope
at the Palomar Observatory
in California
.
Red dwarf
According to the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, a red dwarf star is a small and relatively cool star, of the main sequence, either late K or M spectral type....
UV Cetiflare star
Flare star
A flare star is a variable star that can undergo unpredictable dramatic increases in brightness for a few minutes. It is believed that the flares on flare stars are analogous to solar flares in that they are due to magnetic reconnection in the atmospheres of the stars. The brightness increase is...
and it is the primary member of a nearby binary star
Binary star
A binary star is a star system consisting of two stars orbiting around their common center of mass. The brighter star is called the primary and the other is its companion star, comes, or secondary...
system in the constellation of Monoceros
Monoceros
Monoceros is a faint constellation on the celestial equator. Its name is Greek for unicorn. Its definition is attributed to the 17th-century Dutch cartographer Petrus Plancius. It is bordered by Orion to the west, Gemini to the north, Canis Major to the south and Hydra to the east...
. This star has an magnitude
Apparent magnitude
The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...
of about 11, making it invisible to the unaided eye even though it is one of the stars nearest to the sun. This system is among the closest to our Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
at an estimated distance of about 13.3 light years. Because this star is so close to the Earth it is often the subject of study, hence the large number of designations by which it is known.
Binary star system
This binary star system consists of two closely spaced low-mass red dwarfRed dwarf
According to the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, a red dwarf star is a small and relatively cool star, of the main sequence, either late K or M spectral type....
M-type
Stellar classification
In astronomy, stellar classification is a classification of stars based on their spectral characteristics. The spectral class of a star is a designated class of a star describing the ionization of its chromosphere, what atomic excitations are most prominent in the light, giving an objective measure...
stars. The secondary star is a dim magnitude
Apparent magnitude
The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...
14 lost in the glare of the nearby primary star.
The most recent determination of the system orbital elements comes from a study by George Gatewood using older sources along with data from the Hipparcos
Hipparcos
Hipparcos was a scientific mission of the European Space Agency , launched in 1989 and operated between 1989 and 1993. It was the first space experiment devoted to precision astrometry, the accurate measurement of the positions of celestial objects on the sky...
satellite. This study yielded an orbital period of about 16.6 years and a semi-major axis separation of about 1.1 arc seconds.
History
The primary star was discovered in 1927 by F. E. RossFrank Elmore Ross
Frank Elmore Ross was an American astronomer and physicist. He was born in San Francisco, California and died in Altadena, California. In 1901 he received his doctorate from the University of California. In 1905 he became director of the International Latitude Observatory station at Gaithersburg,...
using the 40 in (101.6 cm) refractor telescope at the Yerkes Observatory
Yerkes Observatory
Yerkes Observatory is an astronomical observatory operated by the University of Chicago in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. The observatory, which calls itself "the birthplace of modern astrophysics," was founded in 1897 by George Ellery Hale and financed by Charles T. Yerkes...
. He noticed the high proper motion
Proper motion
The proper motion of a star is its angular change in position over time as seen from the center of mass of the solar system. It is measured in seconds of arc per year, arcsec/yr, where 3600 arcseconds equal one degree. This contrasts with radial velocity, which is the time rate of change in...
of this dim 11th magnitude star in his second-epoch plates that were part of an astronomical survey started by E. E. Barnard, his predecessor at the observatory. Ross then included this new star in his eponymous catalog along with many others he discovered.
The first detection of a binary system was in 1936 by Dirk Reuyl
Dirk Reuyl
Dirk Reuyl was a Dutch American physicist and astronomer. He was the cousin of astronomer Peter van de Kamp.-Life:He was awarded his Ph.D from Utrecht University in Utrecht, Netherlands. He came to the United States a few years before his cousin Peter van de Kamp. He joined the staff at McCormick...
using the 26-in refractor telescope of the McCormick Observatory
McCormick Observatory
The McCormick Observatory is one of the astronomical observatories operated by the Department of Astronomy of the University of Virginia and is situated just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia in Albemarle County on the summit of Mount Jefferson . It is named for Leander J...
at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
using astrometric
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
analysis of photographic plates. In 1951 Sarah L. Lippincott made the first reasonably accurate predictions of the position of the secondary star using the 24 in (61 cm) refractor telescope of the Sproul Observatory
Sproul Observatory
Sproul Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by Swarthmore College. It is located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, United States, and is named after William Cameron Sproul, the 27th Governor of Pennsylvania, who graduated from Swarthmore in 1891.-Tours:An open house is offered...
. These calculations were used by Walter Baade
Walter Baade
Wilhelm Heinrich Walter Baade was a German astronomer who worked in the USA from 1931 to 1959.-Biography:He took advantage of wartime blackout conditions during World War II, which reduced light pollution at Mount Wilson Observatory, to resolve stars in the center of the Andromeda galaxy for the...
to find and optically resolve this binary system for the first time using the then new 5 m (196.9 in) Hale Telescope
Hale telescope
The Hale Telescope is a , 3.3 reflecting telescope at the Palomar Observatory in California, named after astronomer George Ellery Hale. With funding from the Rockefeller Foundation, he orchestrated the planning, design, and construction of the observatory, but did not live to see its commissioning...
at the Palomar Observatory
Palomar Observatory
Palomar Observatory is a privately owned observatory located in San Diego County, California, southeast of Pasadena's Mount Wilson Observatory, in the Palomar Mountain Range. At approximately elevation, it is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.