Gamma Cephei

apparent magnitude

3.21

companion

Gamma Cephei is accompanied by a low mass companion (a red dwarf with a mass around 0.3 or 0.4 solar masses) that orbits with a period between 57 and 66 years at a distance of about 19 AU.
From the planet, the secondary star would shine with the light of a couple dozen full Moons.

future

Gamma Cephei is the naked-eye star that will succeed Polaris as the Earth’s northern pole star, due to the precession of the equinoxes. It will be closer to the northern celestial pole than Polaris around 3000 CE and will make its closest approach around 4000 CE. The ’title’ will pass to Iota Cephei some time around 5200 CE.

latinized bayer designation of

Errai

mass

With a mass estimated to be 1.6 times that of the Sun, the star’s core is quietly fusing helium into carbon and oxygen.

meaning

“Errai” comes from Arabic and means “the Shepherd.”

planet

The planet, with a mass of at least 1.85 times that of Jupiter, is one of the few known to lie within a double-star system, and orbits the main star Gamma Cephei A with a period of 2.47 years at an average distance of 2.05 Astronomical Units (307 million kilometers, 191 million miles)

proper name

Errai

random

Elk River Wildlife Area Unit (wdfw.wa.gov) The Elk River Unit is a small but popular waterfowl hunting and birding location. The management focus for this unit is estuary, tide flat, and salt marsh restoration.

star of

STARS by Jim Kaler

Errai (Gamma Cephei) (stars.astro.illinois.edu) Errai (Gamma Cephei) is the among the visually brightest stars to host a planet, and also has a low mass companion with a relatively small orbit.

tags

star
binary star
planetary star
Latinized Bayer designation

Wikidata

https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q13265

Wikipedia

Gamma Cephei (Wikipedia) Gamma Cephei (γ Cephei, abbreviated Gamma Cep, γ Cep) is a binary star system approximately 45 light-years away in the northern constellation of Cepheus. The primary (designated Gamma Cephei A, officially named Errai /ɛˈreɪ.iː/, the traditional name of the system) is a stellar class K1 orange giant or subgiant star; it has a red dwarf companion (Gamma Cephei B). An exoplanet (designated Gamma Cephei Ab, later named Tadmor) has been confirmed to be orbiting the primary.