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Rho2 Arietis

Star in the constellation Aries From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rho2 Arietis
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Rho2 Arietis is an M-type red giant star in the northern constellation of Aries. Its name is a Bayer designation that is Latinized from ρ2 Arietis, and abbreviated Rho2 Ari or ρ2 Ari. The brightness of this star varies from magnitude 5.45 to 6.01,[12] making it faintly visible to the naked eye under good observing conditions. With an annual parallax shift of 9.28 mas,[2] it is approximately 350 light-years (110 parsecs) distant from the Earth. It is drifting further away from the Sun with a radial velocity of +46 km/s.[9]

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A visual band light curve for Rho2 Arietis, plotted from data presented in Tabur et al. (2009)[13]
Quick Facts Constellation, Right ascension ...

Rho2 Arietis is classified as a semiregular variable star with periods of 49.9 and 54.8 days.[13] It has the variable star designation, RZ Arietis.[4]

This is a red giant star with a stellar classification of M6 III;[7] it is probably on the asymptotic giant branch, having exhausted its core helium.[5][6] It is predicted to have started its life with 1.5 times the mass of the Sun, and is now down to 1.2 times the Sun's mass. At its current evolutionary stage Rho2 Arietis has expanded to 108 times the Sun's radius. It is radiating 1,390 times the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 3,400 K.[6]

This star possesses a strong magnetic field, one of the strongest for M-type giants. It also possesses a high lithium abundance, higher than expected from evolutionary models. The strong magnetic field, rapid rotation and unusual lithium abundance suggest this star may have engulfed a planet when it was on the red-giant branch.[6]

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