Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 22, 2026

DI Chamaeleontis

DI Chamaeleontis, also known as Hen 3-593 or HIP 54365, is a quadruple star system in the constellation Chamaeleon. The system is located 616 light years away from Earth based on Gaia DR3 parallax measurements.

Last revised
Jun 22, 2026
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≈ 3 min
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Wikipedia ↗
DI Chamaeleontis

Image showing DI Cha A and B, each of which is also an even closer binary, and the surrounding nebulosity.
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox ICRS
Constellation Chamaeleon
A
Right ascension 11h 07m 20.72761s1
Declination −77° 38′ 07.3081″1
Apparent magnitude (V) 10.722
A
Right ascension 11h 07m 20.18917s3
Declination −77° 38′ 11.5657″3
Apparent magnitude (V) 16.72
Characteristics
Spectral type G0e4 (G2 + M6 + M5.5 + M5.5)5
U−B color index +0.6306
B−V color index +1.1446
Variable type T Tau7
Astrometry
A
Radial velocity (Rv)+12.040±0.1408 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −22.552 mas/yr1
Dec.: +1.214 mas/yr1
Parallax (π)5.2913±0.0133 mas1
Distance616 ± 2 ly
(189.0 ± 0.5 pc)
B
Radial velocity (Rv)+15.5±0.39 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −21.477 mas/yr3
Dec.: +1.289 mas/yr3
Parallax (π)5.2190±0.0719 mas3
Distance625 ± 9 ly
(192 ± 3 pc)
Details10
Aa
Mass1.7 M☉
Radius2.00 R☉
Luminosity4.7 L☉
Temperature6,030 K
Age7.1 Myr
Ba/Bb
Mass0.18 M☉
Radius1.13 R☉
Luminosity0.11 L☉
Temperature3,130 K
Age3.0 Myr
Other designations
DI Cha, HIP 54365, CD−76°486, WDS J11073-7738, AAVSO 1104-77
Database references
SIMBADdata
B

DI Chamaeleontis, also known as Hen 3-593 or HIP 54365, is a quadruple star system in the constellation Chamaeleon. The system is located 616 light years away from Earth based on Gaia DR3 parallax measurements.1

A light curve for DI Chamaeleontis, plotted from TESS data,11 source ↗

DI Cha is a variable star of the T Tauri type, young stellar objects just approaching the main sequence. It varies erratically between visual magnitudes 10.65 and 10.74.7 Although it is visually faint, it was noticed because of the prominent emission lines in its spectrum.12

In 1977, DI Cha was observed to have a much fainter companion.13 The separation was later measured at 4.6", approximately 644 astronomical units (AU).14 The B component was discovered to be a pair of stars separated by only 0.066", about 10 AU,15 both with spectral type M5.5.5 Finally, the variable primary star was found to have a faint companion 0.2" (therefore ~30 AU) away, of spectral type M6.5

References

References

  1. Vallenari, A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2023). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 674: A1. arXiv:2208.00211. Bibcode:2023A&A...674A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940. S2CID 244398875. Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  2. Tokovinin, Andrei (2018). "The Updated Multiple Star Catalog". The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 235 (1): 6. arXiv:1712.04750. Bibcode:2018ApJS..235....6T. doi:10.3847/1538-4365/aaa1a5.
  3. Vallenari, A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2023). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 674: A1. arXiv:2208.00211. Bibcode:2023A&A...674A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940. S2CID 244398875. Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  4. Torres, C. A. O.; Quast, G. R.; Da Silva, L.; de la Reza, R.; Melo, C. H. F.; Sterzik, M. (2006). "Search for associations containing young stars (SACY). I. Sample and searching method". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 460 (3): 695. arXiv:astro-ph/0609258. Bibcode:2006A&A...460..695T. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20065602. S2CID 16080025.
  5. Schmidt, T. O. B.; Vogt, N.; Neuhäuser, R.; Bedalov, A.; Roell, T. (2013). "New companions in the stellar systems of DI Cha, Sz 22, CHXR 32, and Cha Hα 5 in the Chamaeleon I star-forming region". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 557: A80. arXiv:1307.1082. Bibcode:2013A&A...557A..80S. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201220660. S2CID 67802847.
  6. Kilkenny, D.; Whittet, D. C. B.; Davies, J. K.; Evans, A.; Bode, M. F.; Robson, E. I.; Banfield, R. M. (1985). "Optical and infrared photometry of southern early-type shell stars and pre-main-sequence variables". In Its South African Astronomical Observatory Circular No. 9 P 55-86 (SEE N86-18271 08-89). 9: 55. Bibcode:1985SAAOC...9...55K.
  7. 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. Bibcode:2009yCat....102025S.
  8. Nguyen, Duy Cuong; Brandeker, Alexis; van Kerkwijk, Marten H.; Jayawardhana, Ray (February 2012). "Close Companions to Young Stars. I. A Large Spectroscopic Survey in Chamaeleon I and Taurus-Auriga". The Astrophysical Journal. 745 (2): 25. arXiv:1112.0002. Bibcode:2012ApJ...745..119N. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/745/2/119. S2CID 119265730. 119.
  9. Gutiérrez Albarrán, M. L.; et al. (2020). "The Gaia-ESO Survey: Calibrating the lithium-age relation with open clusters and associations. I. Cluster age range and initial membership selections". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 643: A71. arXiv:2009.00610. Bibcode:2020A&A...643A..71G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202037620.
  10. Daemgen, S.; Petr-Gotzens, M. G.; Correia, S.; Teixeira, P. S.; Brandner, W.; Kley, W.; Zinnecker, H. (2013). "Protoplanetary disk evolution and stellar parameters of T Tauri binaries in Chamaeleon I". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 554: A43. arXiv:1304.1150. Bibcode:2013A&A...554A..43D. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201321220. S2CID 59440639.
  11. "MAST: Barbara A. Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes". Space Telescope Science Institute. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  12. Henize, Karl G. (1963). "Emission-Line Stars in an Obscured Region in Chamaeleon". Astronomical Journal. 68: 280. Bibcode:1963AJ.....68S.280H. doi:10.1086/109141.
  13. Schwartz, R. D. (1977). "A survey of southern dark clouds for Herbig-Haro objects and H-alpha emission stars". Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 35: 161. Bibcode:1977ApJS...35..161S. doi:10.1086/190473.
  14. Reipurth, Bo; Zinnecker, Hans (1993). "Visual binaries among pre-main sequence stars". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 278: 81. Bibcode:1993A&A...278...81R.
  15. Lafrenière, David; Jayawardhana, Ray; Brandeker, Alexis; Ahmic, Mirza; Van Kerkwijk, Marten H. (2008). "A Multiplicity Census of Young Stars in Chamaeleon I". The Astrophysical Journal. 683 (2): 844–861. arXiv:0803.0561. Bibcode:2008ApJ...683..844L. doi:10.1086/590239. S2CID 2998049.