Magnitude 6.72 | ||
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Similar Chi1 Orionis, Omega Orionis, Pi3 Orionis, Mu Orionis, FU Orionis | ||
U Orionis (abbreviated U Ori) is a Mira-type variable star in the constellation Orion. It is a classical long period variable star that has been well observed from the United Kingdom for over 120 years.
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Discovery
It was discovered on 1885 December 13 by J.E. Gore and initially it was thought to be a nova in the early stages of decline (Gore's Nova and NOVA Ori 1885 as still listed in SIMBAD), but a spectrum taken at Harvard showed features similar to that of Mira. Thus U Orionis became the first long period variable to be identified by a photograph of its spectrum.
Location
U Orionis lies less than half a degree east of the small-amplitude variable star χ1 Orionis and less than an arc-minute from the much fainter eclipsing variable UW Orionis. χ1 Orionis is slightly brighter than U Orionis at its brightest maximum, while UW Orionis is more than a thousand times fainter, similar to U Orionis at minimum.
Stellar parameters
The star has a low effective temperature (roughly 2700 K) but a large and bloated radius of 370 solar radii and a high luminosity, 7,000 times higher than the Sun. If the Sun were replaced with U Orionis, its radius would extend beyond Mars's orbital zone (about 1.7 astronomical units), and, to be habitable with water at liquid state and a comfortable temperature, a planet would have to be located within 85 AU, within the Kuiper belt's orbital zone.
Hints of a planetary system?
According to Rudnitskij, a 12- to 15-year "super-periodicity" has been observed. The author infers such periodicity could coincide with the revolution period of an invisible companion, probably planetary. So far no clear hint of planetary objects has been detected.