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Beta (β) Monocerotis
Multiple Star System
| Right Ascension | 06h 28m 49s | Best Seen | 1/1 - 5/15 |
| Declination | -07° 01' 58" | Combined Magnitude | 3.76 |
| Apparent Separation | B and C are 2.8 arc seconds apart A stands off from them by 7.4 arc seconds |
Constellation | Monoceros |
Actual |
Compared to Sun |
|
| Distance | 691 ly | -- |
| Separation | -- | -- |
| Orbital Period | B and C pair - 4,200 yrs A - BC pair - 14,000 yrs |
-- |
| Actual Brightness | -- | 3200 / 1 |
| Magnitude | 4.6 (A) / 5.4 (B) / 5.6 (C) | -- |
| Mass | -- | ~ 7 / 1 |
| Surface Gravity | -- | -- |
| Surface Composition (by mass) | 74% hydrogen 24% helium 2% everything else |
same |
| Spectral Type | B3 Ve / B5 V | G2 V |
| Density (gram/cubic cm) | -- | -- |
What To Look For Through The Telescope
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Recommended eyepiece: 24mm or 40 mm.
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When people look through the telescope they should see three stars in a curved line. The stars should be about the same brightness.
Beta Monocerotis Information:
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Beta Mon is a triple star system in the constellation of Monoceros (The Unicorn).
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To the naked eye, it appears as a single star with an apparent visual magnitude of approximately 3.74, making it the brightest visible star in the constellation.
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A telescope shows a curved line of three pale blue stars (or pale yellow stars, depending on the scope's focus).
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William Herschel who discovered it in 1781 commented that it is "one of the most beautiful sights in the heavens".
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The star system consists of three Be stars (West to East), β Monocerotis A, β Monocerotis B, and β Monocerotis C.
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B and C mostly likely orbit each other, while A orbits the pair.
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There is also an additional visual companion star (~Mag 12) that is probably not physically close to the other three stars
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