Magnitude 3.06 Apparent magnitude (V) 3.06 | ||
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Similar Nu Ursae Majoris, Xi Ursae Majoris, Omicron Ursae Majoris, Psi Ursae Majoris, Groombridge 1830 | ||
Mu Ursae Majoris (μ Ursae Majoris, abbreviated Mu UMa, μ UMa), also named Tania Australis, is a binary star in the constellation of Ursa Major. An apparent visual magnitude of +3.06 places it among the brighter members of the constellation. Parallax measurements give an estimated distance of roughly 230 light-years (71 parsecs) from the Sun, with a margin of error of 4%.
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Stellar system
Mu Ursae Majoris is an evolved star that is currently in the red giant stage with a stellar classification of M0 IIIab. It has expanded to 75 times the radius of the Sun whilst the outer atmosphere has cooled to an effective temperature of 3,899 K, giving it the orange-red hued glow of an M-type star. Estimates of the luminosity range from 977–1,200 times that of the Sun. It is classified as a semiregular variable star and its brightness varies from magnitude 2.99m to 3.33m.
This is a spectroscopic binary star system with a companion a mere 0.2 AU from the primary, assuming a distance of 71 parsecs, with an orbital period of 230 days.
Nomenclature
μ Ursae Majoris (Latinised to Mu Ursae Majoris) is the star's Bayer designation.
It bore the traditional names Tania (shared with Lambda Ursae Majoris) and Tania Australis. Tania comes from the Arabic phrase Al Fiḳrah al Thānia 'the Second Spring (of the Gazelle)'. and Australis (originally australis) is Latin for 'the south side'. In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN's first bulletin of July 2016 included a table of the first two batches of names approved by the WGSN; which included Tania Australis for this star.
In Chinese, 三台 (Sān Tái), meaning Three Steps, refers to an asterism consisting of Mu Ursae Majoris, Iota Ursae Majoris, Kappa Ursae Majoris, Lambda Ursae Majoris, Nu Ursae Majoris and Xi Ursae Majoris. Consequently, Mu Ursae Majoris itself is known as 三台四 (Sān Tái sì, English: the Fourth Star of Three Steps) and 中台二 (Zhōng Tái èr, English: Star of Second Middle Step).