V539 Arae
Triple star system in the constellation Ara
title: "V539 Arae" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["b-type-main-sequence-stars", "slowly-pulsating-b-type-stars", "algol-variables", "spectroscopic-binaries", "multiple-star-systems", "ara-(constellation)", "bayer-objects", "bright-star-catalogue-objects", "durchmusterung-objects", "henry-draper-catalogue-objects", "hipparcos-objects", "objects-with-variable-star-designations"] description: "Triple star system in the constellation Ara" topic_path: "science/astronomy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V539_Arae" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Triple star system in the constellation Ara ::
| name=V539 Arae | image = | image=Ara IAU.svg | alt= | float=center | width=240 | label= | position=right | mark=Red circle.svg | mark_width=10 | mark_link=V539 Arae | x%=42.5 | y%=43.0 | caption = The location of V539 Arae (circled) | epoch = J2000 | ra = | dec = | appmag_v = 5.62 | constell = Ara | class = B2 V + B3 V + A1 V | b-v = −0.099 | u-b = −0.64 | variable = Algol/SPB | radial_v = −4.3 | prop_mo_ra = +2.517 | prop_mo_dec = −12.105 | pm_footnote = | parallax = 2.5208 | p_error = 0.1096 | parallax_footnote = | absmag_v = −1.83/−1.11 | reference = | primary = | name = | period = | period_unitless = | axis = | axis_unitless = | eccentricity = | inclination = 85.2 | node = | periastron = | periarg = | periarg_primary = | k1 = | k2 = | source = | component1 = V539 Ara A | mass = 6.239 | radius = 4.551 | luminosity = 2,000 | temperature = 18,100 | metal_fe = | gravity = 3.9170 | rotational_velocity = 100 | age_myr = 23.2 | component2 = V539 Ara B | mass2 = 5.313 | radius2 = 3.575 | luminosity2 = 980 | temperature2= 17,100 | gravity2 = 4.0570 | rotational_velocity2 = 130 | names = | Simbad = V539+Ara |sn=AB | Simbad2=CCDM+J17505-5337A |sn2=A
V539 Arae is a multiple star system in the southern constellation of Ara. It has the Bayer designation Nu Arae , which is Latinized from ν Arae and abbreviated Nu Ara or ν Ara. This is a variable star system, the brightness of which varies from magnitude 5.71 to 6.24, making it faintly visible to the naked eye under good observing conditions. Based upon an annual parallax shift of , this system is at a distance of approximately 1290 ly from Earth. The system is drifting closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of −4 km/s. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/V539AraLightCurve.png" caption="visual band]] [[light curve]] for V539 Arae, adapted from Knipe (1971)"] ::
In 1930, Ferdinand Johannes Neubauer found that the star (usually called Boss 4496 at the time) is a spectroscopic binary. He did not detect any brightness variability. Eclipses were first reported by E. Schoeffel and U. Kohler in 1965. The period they reported is 1/2 the currently accepted value, because they did not realize that the light curve has a deep secondary minimum. In 1996, the secondary component was found to be a slowly pulsating B-type star (SPB) with periods of periods of 1.36, 1.78 and possibly 1.08 days.
The core members of this system, ν Ara AB, consist of a pair of B-type main-sequence stars in a detached orbit with a period of 3.169 days and an eccentricity of 0.055. Their respective stellar classifications are B2 V and B3 V, and they have a combined visual magnitude of 5.65. Because the orbital plane lies close to the line of sight from the Earth, this pair form a detached eclipsing binary of the Algol type. The eclipse of the primary causes a decrease of 0.52 in magnitude, while the secondary eclipse decreases the magnitude by 0.43.
At an angular separation of 12.34 arcseconds, is a possible tertiary component of this system; a magnitude 9.40 A-type main-sequence star with a classification of A1 V. A 2005 study of the orbit of the main pair demonstrated an apsidal motion, suggesting the influence of a third body. The initial estimate found an orbital period of and a mass of . In 2022, a more refined study suggested the influence of two stellar objects with masses of and .
The system is sometimes referred as Upsilon Arae (υ Arae), and more generally unlettered.
References
| title=The Eclipsing Variable HD 161783 (BV 420) | last1=Thackeray | first1=A. D. | last2=Knipe | first2=G. F. G. | journal=Monthly Notes of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa | year=1965 | volume=24 | page=109 | bibcode=1965MNSSA..24..109T }}
| title=Photometric Light-Curves of Bright Southern BV-Stars Eclipsing Binaries | last1=Schoeffel | first1=E. | last2=Kohler | first2=U. | journal=Information Bulletin on Variable Stars | date=January 1965 | volume=77 | page=1 | bibcode=1965IBVS...77....1S }}
| title=Forty-two Spectroscopic Binary Stars | last=Neubauer | first=F. J. | journal=Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific | date=August 1930 | volume=42 | issue=248 | pages=235–236 | bibcode=1930PASP...42..235N | doi=10.1086/124043 }}
| title=V539 Ara | display-authors=1 | last1=Samus | first1=N. N. | last2=Goranskij | first2=V. P. | last3=Durlevich | first3=O. V. | last4=Kazarovets | first4=E. V. | last5=Kireeva | first5=N. N. | last6=Pastukhova | first6=E. N. | last7=Zharova | first7=A. V. | website=General Catalogue of Variable Stars | publisher=Lomonosov Moscow State University | url=http://www.sai.msu.su/gcvs/cgi-bin/search2.cgi?search=V539+Ara | access-date=25 November 2024 }}
| title=The light curve and orbital elements of V539 Arae | last=Knipe | first=G. F. G. | journal=Astronomy & Astrophysics | date=September 1971 | volume=14 | pages=70–77 | bibcode=1971A&A....14...70K }}
| title=General catalogue of stellar radial velocities | last=Wilson | first=Ralph Elmer | journal=Carnegie Institute Washington D.C. Publication | year=1953 | publisher=Carnegie Institution of Washington | bibcode=1953GCRV..C......0W | postscript=. }}
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| title=Accurate masses and radii of normal stars: modern results and applications | display-authors=1 | last1=Torres|first1= G. | last2=Andersen | first2=J. | last3=Giménez | first3=A. | journal=The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review | volume=18 | issue=1–2 | pages=67–126 |date=February 2010 | doi=10.1007/s00159-009-0025-1 | arxiv=0908.2624 | s2cid=14006009 | bibcode=2010A&ARv..18...67T | postscript=. }}
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| title=A catalogue of eclipsing variables | last1=Malkov | first1=O. Yu. | last2=Oblak | first2=E. | last3=Snegireva | first3=E. A. | last4=Torra | first4=J. | display-authors=1 | journal=Astronomy and Astrophysics | volume=446 | issue=2 |date=February 2006 | pages=785–789 | doi=10.1051/0004-6361:20053137 | doi-access=free | bibcode=2006A&A...446..785M | hdl=10995/73280 | hdl-access=free }}
| title=Note for HR 6622 | last1=Hoffleit | first1=D. | last2=Warren, Jr. | first2=W. H. | year=1991 | work=The Bright Star Catalogue | edition=5th Revised | url=http://vizier.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/VizieR?-6N&-out.form=H0&//*&-source%3DV/50/notes&HR%3D6622 | access-date=2025-04-30 }}
| title=Pulkovo compilation of radial velocities for 35495 stars in a common system | last=Gontcharov | first=G. A. | journal=Astronomy Letters | date=2006 | volume=32 | issue=11 | pages=759–771 | doi=10.1134/S1063773706110065 | arxiv=1606.08053 | bibcode=2006AstL...32..759G | s2cid=119231169 }}
| title=XHIP: An extended hipparcos compilation | last1=Anderson | first1=E. | last2=Francis | first2=Ch. | journal=Astronomy Letters | volume=38 | issue=5 | pages=331 | year=2012 | bibcode=2012AstL...38..331A | doi=10.1134/S1063773712050015 | arxiv=1108.4971 | s2cid=119257644 | postscript=. }}
| title=General Catalogue of Variable Stars | display-authors=1 | last1=Samus | first1=N. N. | last2=Kazarovets | first2=E. V. | last3=Durlevich | first3=O. V. | last4=Kireeva | first4=N. N. | last5=Pastukhova | first5=E. N. | journal=Astronomy Reports | year=2017 | volume=61 | issue=1 | pages=80–88 | doi=10.1134/S1063772917010085 | version=GCVS 5.1 | bibcode=2017ARep...61...80S | url=http://www.sai.msu.su/gcvs/gcvs/index.htm | access-date=2025-04-30 }}
| title=V539 Arae: first accurate dimensions of a slowly pulsating B star | last=Clausen | first=J. V. | journal=Astronomy and Astrophysics | volume=308 | pages=151–169 | date=April 1996 | bibcode=1996A&A...308..151C }}
| title=Apsidal motion in southern eccentric eclipsing binaries: V539 Ara, GG Lup, V526 Sgr and AO Vel | last1=Wolf | first1=M. | last2=Zejda | first2=M. | journal=Astronomy and Astrophysics | volume=437 | issue=2 | date=July 2005 | pages=545–551 | doi=10.1051/0004-6361:20041868 | bibcode=2005A&A...437..545W }}
| title=The two eccentric eclipsing binaries in multiple systems: V539 Arae and V335 Serpentis | display-authors=1 | last1=Wolf | first1=M. | last2=Zejda | first2=M. | last3=Mašek | first3=M. | last4=Kučáková | first4=H. | last5=de Joode | first5=M. Souza | last6=Uhlař | first6=R. | last7=Zasche | first7=P. | journal=New Astronomy | postscript=. | volume=92 | at=id. 101708 | date=April 2022 | doi=10.1016/j.newast.2021.101708 | bibcode=2022NewA...9201708W | doi-access=free }}
References
- {{Cite Gaia DR3. 5921022161722960512
- (July 2022). "High-mass pulsators in eclipsing binaries observed using TESS". [[Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society]].
- "V* V539 Ara".
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