Gaia Shows that Messier 40 is Definitely Not a Binary Star
Abstract
M40 has always been something of an oddity in the Messier Catalogue, since it is just a pair of stars rather than an extended object. Doubts have also been expressed as to whether it is even a physical binary. Here, we note that the Hipparcos/Gaia parallaxes for these two stars remove all doubt: Messier 40 comprises a pair of entirely unrelated stars.
- Publication:
-
The Observatory
- Pub Date:
- February 2017
- DOI:
- 10.48550/arXiv.1612.00834
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1612.00834
- Bibcode:
- 2017Obs...137...23M
- Keywords:
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- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 1 page. Refereed and accepted for publication in Observatory