Gamma Leporis

Gamma Leporis, Latinized from γ Leporis, is a star in the southern half of the constellation Lepus, southeast of Beta Leporis and southwest of Delta Leporis. With an apparent visual magnitude of 3.587,^[2] it is bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 112.3 mas as seen from Earth, its distance can be calculated as 29.04 light-years. It has a common proper motion companion, AK Leporis (or Gamma Leporis B), which is a variable star of the BY Draconis type and has an average brightness of magnitude 6.28.^[10] The two are 95″ apart can be well seen in binoculars.^[9] Gamma Leporis is a member of the Ursa Major Moving Group.^[11]

γ Leporis

Location of γ Leporis (circled)
Observation data Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation	Lepus
Right ascension	05h 44m 27.79062s[1]
Declination	−22° 26′ 54.1878″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V)	3.587[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type	F6 V[3]
U−B color index	−0.007[2]
B−V color index	+0.494[2]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)	−8.99±0.15[1] km/s
Proper motion (μ)	RA: −291.757 mas/yr[1] Dec.: −368.521 mas/yr[1]
Parallax (π)	112.2960±0.1452 mas[1]
Distance	29.04 ± 0.04 ly (8.91 ± 0.01 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)	3.84[4]
Details
Mass	1.17+0.10 −0.06[5] M☉
Radius	1.30±0.03[5] R☉
Luminosity (bolometric)	2.36+0.13 −0.14[5] L☉
Surface gravity (log g)	4.350±0.040[5] cgs
Temperature	6,276+57 −61[5] K
Metallicity [Fe/H]	−0.12[6] dex
Rotation	5.91±0.66[7] days
Rotational velocity (v sin i)	15[8] km/s
Age	1.3[4] Gyr
Other designations
γ Lep, 13 Leporis, BD−22°1211, CD−22°2438, FK5 217, GJ 216 A, HD 38393, HIP 27072, HR 1983, SAO 170759[9]
Database references
SIMBAD	data

Gamma Leporis is an F-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of F6 V.^[3] It is larger than the Sun with 1.30 times the radius of the Sun and 1.17 times the Sun's mass.^[5] The star is around 1.3 billion years old^[4] and is spinning with a rotation period of about six days.^[7] Based upon its stellar characteristics and distance from Earth, Gamma Leporis was considered a high-priority target for NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder mission. It has been examined for an infrared excess, but none has been observed.^[7]

Van Biesbroeck's star catalog of 1961 lists the red dwarf star VB 1 as a companion of Gamma Leporis,^[12] but this is a background star that is not physically associated.^[13] It should not be confused with AK Leporis (Gamma Leporis B), which is a true companion star.^[14][15]

See also

• List of star systems within 25–30 light-years
• List of nearest F-type stars