16 Serpentis

16 Serpentis
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation Serpens
Right ascension 15h 36m 29.57498s
Declination +10° 00 36.5574
Apparent magnitude (V) 5.261
Characteristics
Spectral type K0III: CN1 Ba0.7 Sr2
U−B color index +0.66
B−V color index +0.937
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)+2.94±0.13 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: 41.881 mas/yr
Dec.: −125.722 mas/yr
Parallax (π)14.3226±0.1100 mas
Distance228 ± 2 ly
(69.8 ± 0.5 pc)
Orbit
Period (P)5,324±19 d
Eccentricity (e)0.345±0.024
Periastron epoch (T)44,090±53
Argument of periastron (ω)
(secondary)
358±4°
Semi-amplitude (K1)
(primary)
3.86±0.09 km/s
Details
16 Ser A
Mass1.70 M
Radius8 R
Luminosity42.7 L
Surface gravity (log g)2.64±0.12 cgs
Temperature4,946±51 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.13±0.06 dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)1.4 km/s
Age2.40 Gyr
Other designations
16 Ser, BD+10°2884, FK5 3226, GC 20981, HD 139195, HIP 76425, HR 5802, SAO 101640
Database references
SIMBADdata

16 Serpentis is a binary star system in the Serpens Caput portion of the equatorial constellation of Serpens, located 228 light years from the Sun. It is visible to the naked eye as a fain, orange-hued star with an apparent visual magnitude of 5.261. The system is moving further from the Earth with a heliocentric radial velocity of +3 km/s.

The variable radial velocity of this star was discovered at Lick Observatory and was announced by J. H. Moore in 1924. It is a single-lined spectroscopic binary with an orbital period of 14.58 years and an eccentricity of 0.345. The visible component is an evolved giant star with a stellar classification of K0III: CN1 Ba0.7 Sr2. This is a mild barium star with the suffix notation above indicating associated abundance anomalies. The companion is a presumed white dwarf star that has already passed through its giant stage, during which time it enhanced the envelope of the companion with s-process elements. The pair form one of the widest barium star binaries known, which may account for the mildness of the barium anomaly.