Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 31, 2026

LP Andromedae

LP Andromedae is a carbon star in the constellation Andromeda. It is also a Mira variable whose mean apparent visual magnitude is 15.12 and has pulsations with an amplitude of 1.50 magnitudes and a period of 614 days.

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LP Andromedae

A near-infrared (L band) light curve for LP Andromedae, adapted from Jones et al. (1990)1
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox ICRS
Constellation Andromeda
Right ascension 23h 34m 27.5216s2
Declination +43° 33′ 01.300″2
Apparent magnitude (V) 15.12 variable3
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage AGB4
Spectral type C8,3.5e5
Apparent magnitude (G) 16.90412
Apparent magnitude (J) 9.6236
Apparent magnitude (H) 6.3556
Apparent magnitude (K) 2.717
Variable type Mira8
Astrometry
Proper motion (μ) RA: −21.313±0.532 2 mas/yr
Dec.: −22.058±0.4532 mas/yr
Parallax (π)2.5002±0.3626 mas2
Distanceapprox. 1,300 ly
(approx. 400 pc)
Absolute bolometric
magnitude
 (Mbol)
−5.21±0.264
Details4
Mass0.8 M
Radius340 – 420 R
Luminosity2,900 – 16,200 L
Temperature2,100 – 3,350 K
Other designations
2MASS J23342752+4333012, IRAS 23320+4316, RAFGL 3116
Database references
SIMBADdata

LP Andromedae (often abbreviated to LP And) is a carbon star in the constellation Andromeda. It is also a Mira variable8 whose mean apparent visual magnitude is 15.12 and has pulsations with an amplitude of 1.50 magnitudes3 and a period of 614 days.4

In 1974 LP Andromedae, known then as IRC+40540, was identified as a carbon star and also shown to be variable.9 It had previously been suspected of variability during the 2 Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS). A detailed study of its spectrum showed an unusually cool star with a basic class of C8, and Swan band strength of 3.5. It also showed strong C13 isotopic bands.5 The period was narrowed down to around 614 days, one of the longest periods known for a Mira variable.10

This star has a dusty envelope with an estimated mass of 3.2 M, fueled by the star itself which is losing mass at a rate 10−5 M/yr. Such a high mass loss rate should place LP Andromedae close to the end of its asymptotic giant branch evolution. The envelope extends to a distance of 3 parsec from the star, and is mainly made of silicon carbide and carbon particles.4

See also

See also

References

References

  1. Jones, Terry Jay; Bryja, C. O.; Gehrz, Robert D.; Harrison, Thomas E.; Johnson, Joni J.; Klebe, Dimitri I.; Lawrence, Geoffrey F. (November 1990). "Photometry of Variable AFGL Sources". Astrophysical Journal Supplement. 74: 785. Bibcode:1990ApJS...74..785J. doi:10.1086/191518.
  2. Brown, A. G. A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (August 2018). "Gaia Data Release 2: Summary of the contents and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 616. A1. arXiv:1804.09365. Bibcode:2018A&A...616A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201833051. Gaia DR2 record for this source at VizieR.
  3. Database entry, The Catalina Surveys periodic variable star catalog. (Drake+, 2014), A. J. Drake et al., CDS ID J/ApJS/213/9 Accessed on line 2018-11-14.
  4. Men'shchikov, A. B.; Balega, Y. Y.; Berger, M.; Driebe, T.; Hofmann, K.-H.; Maximov, A. F.; Schertl, D.; Shenavrin, V. I.; Weigelt, G. (March 2006). "Near-infrared speckle interferometry and radiative transfer modelling of the carbon star LP Andromedae". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 448 (1): 271–281. Bibcode:2006A&A...448..271M. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20052976.
  5. Cohen, M. (1979). "Circumstellar envelopes and the evolution of carbon stars". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 186 (4): 837–852. Bibcode:1979MNRAS.186..837C. doi:10.1093/mnras/186.4.837.
  6. Cutri, Roc M.; Skrutskie, Michael F.; Van Dyk, Schuyler D.; Beichman, Charles A.; Carpenter, John M.; Chester, Thomas; Cambresy, Laurent; Evans, Tracey E.; Fowler, John W.; Gizis, John E.; Howard, Elizabeth V.; Huchra, John P.; Jarrett, Thomas H.; Kopan, Eugene L.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Light, Robert M.; Marsh, Kenneth A.; McCallon, Howard L.; Schneider, Stephen E.; Stiening, Rae; Sykes, Matthew J.; Weinberg, Martin D.; Wheaton, William A.; Wheelock, Sherry L.; Zacarias, N. (2003). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: 2MASS All-Sky Catalog of Point Sources (Cutri+ 2003)". CDS/ADC Collection of Electronic Catalogues. 2246: II/246. Bibcode:2003yCat.2246....0C.
  7. Menzies, J. W.; Feast, M. W.; Whitelock, P. A. (June 2006). "Carbon-rich Mira variables: radial velocities and distances". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 369 (2): 783–790. arXiv:astro-ph/0603505. Bibcode:2006MNRAS.369..783M. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.255.9712. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.10323.x. S2CID 18684991.
  8. N. N. Samus; O. V. Durlevich; et al. "LP And database entry". Combined General Catalog of Variable Stars (2017 ed.). CDS. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
  9. Lockwood, G. W. (1974). "Near-infrared photometry of unidentified IRC stars. II". The Astrophysical Journal. 192: 113. Bibcode:1974ApJ...192..113L. doi:10.1086/153041.
  10. Alksnis, A. (1989). "On the Variability of the Dusty Carbon Star LP and". Information Bulletin on Variable Stars. 3396: 1. Bibcode:1989IBVS.3396....1A.