Primary 44 Boo A | Magnitude 4.75 Apparent magnitude (V) 4.75 | |
Similar Iota Boötis, Xi Boötis, Tau Boötis, Kappa Boötis, Mu Boötis | ||
44 Boötis or i Boötis is a triple star system in the constellation Boötes. It is approximately 41.6 light years from Earth.
The primary component, 44 Boötis A, is a yellow-white G-type main sequence dwarf with a mean apparent magnitude of +4.83. The companion component, 44 Boötis B, is a W Ursae Majoris variable spectroscopic binary. The variability of this star system was discovered by English astronomer William Herschel. The brightness of the binary varies from magnitude +5.8 to +6.40 with a period of 6.43 hours. The components of the eclipsing binary are separated by 0.008 Astronomical Units, roughly 3 times the distance of the Moon from Earth, and close enough to allow their stellar envelopes to overlap.
The 44 Boötis system is 42 light-years (13 parsecs) from Earth.