Magnitude 3.81 Apparent magnitude (V) 3.81 | Constellation Vela | |
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HD 74180 is a binary star in the constellation Vela. It is approximately 3,200 light years from Earth. The primary component is a yellow-white F-type supergiant with a mean apparent magnitude of +3.81, with a 10th magnitude companion 37.5 arcseconds distant.
b Velorum has been classified as a suspected α Cygni variable star which varies by only 0.06 magnitude. There are possible periods near 53, 80, and 160 days, but the variation is largely irregular.
Several studies have considered b Velorum to be a highly luminous supergiant or hypergiant with an early F spectral type, for example F2 Ia+, F0 Ia, and F4 I. There were corresponding luminosity estimates of several hundred thousand L☉. A 2015 study used the Barbier-Chalonge-Divan (BCD) system to derive a luminosity of 38,000 L☉ and a cooler less luminous F8 Ib spectral type.