Companion μ Cas B Constellation Cassiopeia | Magnitude 5.17 Apparent magnitude (V) 5.17 | |
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Similar Omicron Cassiopeiae, Iota Cassiopeiae, Phi Cassiopeiae, Chi Cassiopeiae, Lambda Cassiopeiae | ||
Mu Cassiopeiae (μ Cas, μ Cassiopeiae) is a binary star system in the constellation Cassiopeia. This system shares the name Marfak with Theta Cassiopeiae, and the name was from Al Marfik or Al Mirfaq (المرفق), meaning "the elbow".
In 1961 the close binary nature of this system was discovered by Nicholas E. Wagman at the Allegheny Observatory. Since then the orbital elements of the two stars have been fairly well established. The two stars are separated by a semimajor axis of 7.61 AUs with distance range of 3.3-11.9 AUs. In 1966, the individual components were first resolved by the American astronomer Peter A. Wehinger using the 84-inch reflector at the Kitt Peak National Observatory, allowing an initial estimate of separate masses.
Compared to other nearby stars, this pair are moving at a relatively high velocity of 167 km/s through the Milky Way galaxy. They are low metal, Population II stars that are thought to have formed before the galactic disk first appeared.
This star will be in constellation Perseus around 5200 AD.