Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 29, 2026

Nu Persei

ν Persei, Latinized as Nu Persei, is a single star and a suspected variable in the northern constellation of Perseus. It has a yellow-white hue and is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 3.80. This object is located approximately 560 light-years from the Sun based on parallax but is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −12 km/s.

Last revised
Jul 29, 2026
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Nu Persei
Location of ν Persei (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox ICRS
Constellation Perseus
Right ascension 03h 45m 11.63204s1
Declination +42° 34′ 42.7829″1
Apparent magnitude (V) 3.802
Characteristics
Spectral type F5II3
U−B color index +0.282
B−V color index +0.422
Variable type suspected4
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−12.105 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −14.451 mas/yr
Dec.: +2.531 mas/yr
Parallax (π)5.86±0.22 mas1
Distance560 ± 20 ly
(171 ± 6 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)−2.396
Details
Mass5.017 M☉
Radius20.62+1.72
−1.768 R☉
Luminosity603.6±41.28 L☉
Surface gravity (log g)3.049 cgs
Temperature6,300+287
−1588 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]+0.419 dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)48.910 km/s
Age10911 Myr
Other designations
ν Per, 41 Persei, NSV 1261, BD+42°815, FK5 134, GC 4474, HD 23230, HIP 17529, HR 1135, SAO 39078, CCDM J03452+4235A, WDS J03452+4235A12
Database references
SIMBADdata

ν Persei, Latinized as Nu Persei, is a single13 star and a suspected variable in the northern constellation of Perseus. It has a yellow-white hue and is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 3.80.2 This object is located approximately 560 light-years from the Sun based on parallax1 but is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −12 km/s.5

This object is a highly luminous bright giant star with a stellar classification of F5II.3 It has five7 times the mass of the Sun but has expanded to around 218 times the Sun's radius. The star has a relatively high rotation rate, spinning with a projected rotational velocity of 48.9 km/s.10 It is radiating 6048 times the luminosity of the Sun from its enlarged photosphere at an effective temperature of 6,300 K.8

Several visual companions beside the primary have been recorded. B, with magnitude 12.1 and separation 31.6", has its own companion, E, with magnitude 14.3 and separation 7.7". Additionally, C has magnitude 13.2 and separation 55.7", and D has magnitude 13.8 and separation 22.8".14

References

References

  1. Van Leeuwen, F. (2007). "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 474 (2): 653–664. arXiv:0708.1752. Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357. S2CID 18759600. Vizier catalog entry
  2. Ducati, J. R. (2002). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: Catalogue of Stellar Photometry in Johnson's 11-color system". CDS/ADC Collection of Electronic Catalogues. 2237. Bibcode:2002yCat.2237....0D.
  3. Hoffleit, D.; Warren, W. H. (1995). "Bright Star Catalogue". VizieR On-line Data Catalog: V/50. Originally Published in: 1964BS....C......0H. 5050 (5th Revised ed.). Bibcode:1995yCat.5050....0H.
  4. Samus, N. N.; Durlevich, O. V.; et al. (2009). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: General Catalogue of Variable Stars (Samus+ 2007-2013)". VizieR On-line Data Catalog: B/GCVS. Originally Published in: 2009yCat....102025S. 1: B/GCVS. Bibcode:2009yCat....102025S.
  5. Gontcharov, G. A. (2006). "Pulkovo Compilation of Radial Velocities for 35 495 Hipparcos stars in a common system". Astronomy Letters. 32 (11): 759–771. arXiv:1606.08053. Bibcode:2006AstL...32..759G. doi:10.1134/S1063773706110065. S2CID 119231169.
  6. Anderson, E.; Francis, Ch. (2012). "XHIP: An extended hipparcos compilation". Astronomy Letters. 38 (5): 331. arXiv:1108.4971. Bibcode:2012AstL...38..331A. doi:10.1134/S1063773712050015. S2CID 119257644. Vizier catalog entry
  7. Hohle, M.M.; et al. (2010). "Masses and luminosities of O- and B-type stars and red supergiants". Astronomische Nachrichten. 331 (4): 349. arXiv:1003.2335. Bibcode:2010AN....331..349H. doi:10.1002/asna.200911355. S2CID 111387483. Vizier catalog entry
  8. 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.
  9. Earle Luck, R. (2014). "Parameters and Abundances in Luminous Stars". The Astronomical Journal. 147 (6): 137. Bibcode:2014AJ....147..137L. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/147/6/137.
  10. De Medeiros, J. R.; Mayor, M. (1999). "A catalog of rotational and radial velocities for evolved stars". Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series. 139 (3): 433. arXiv:astro-ph/0608248. Bibcode:1999A&AS..139..433D. doi:10.1051/aas:1999401. Vizier catalog entry
  11. Lyubimkov, Leonid S.; Lambert, David L.; Rostopchin, Sergey I.; Rachkovskaya, Tamara M.; Poklad, Dmitry B. (2010). "Accurate fundamental parameters for A-, F- and G-type Supergiants in the solar neighbourhood". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 402 (2): 1369–1379. arXiv:0911.1335. Bibcode:2010MNRAS.402.1369L. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15979.x. S2CID 119096173.
  12. "nu. Per". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
  13. Eggleton, P. P.; Tokovinin, A. A. (September 2008). "A catalogue of multiplicity among bright stellar systems". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 389 (2): 869–879. arXiv:0806.2878. Bibcode:2008MNRAS.389..869E. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13596.x. S2CID 14878976.
  14. Mason, Brian D.; et al. (2001). "The 2001 US Naval Observatory Double Star CD-ROM. I. The Washington Double Star Catalog". The Astronomical Journal. 122 (6): 3466. Bibcode:2001AJ....122.3466M. doi:10.1086/323920. Vizier catalog entry
External links
  • Kaler, James B. (March 11, 2011). "Nu Persei". STARS. Retrieved 2019-10-03.