MY Camelopardalis

MY Camelopardalis
Observation data; Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0
Constellation	Camelopardalis
Right ascension	03h 59m 18.2863s
Declination	+57° 14′ 13.673″
Astrometry
Distance	13,000 ly ; (4,000 pc)
Other designations
	MY Camelopardalis, MY Cam, Alicante 1 NM 693, Alicante 1-693, 2MASS J03591829+5714137

MY Camelopardalis (MY Cam) is a binary star system located in the Alicante 1 open cluster, some 13 kly (4.0 kpc) away in the constellation Camelopardalis. It is one of the most massive known binary star systems.^[2] MY Cam is the brightest star in Alicante 1.^[3]

The system consists of two hot blue O-type stars with one component having a mass of 32 solar masses and the other 38 solar masses.^[4] MY Cam is a contact binary and eclipsing binary, with an orbital period of 1.2 days, and an orbital velocity of 1,000,000 km/h (620,000 mph).^[2] They were likely formed 2 million years ago.^[5]^[6]

The system is anticipated to merge to form a single massive star of about 60 solar masses. This is expected to be the way that most extremely massive single stars are formed.^[2]

When originally discovered, the system was considered to be a single variable star and not a binary system.^[2] Its binary nature was only discerned in 2004.^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "V* MY Cam -- Ellipsoidal variable Star". SIMBAD. Retrieved 2014-12-12.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Andrew Fazekas (9 December 2014). "Astronomers Spy Monster Star Merger on the Move".
^ ^a ^b Asociación RUVID (5 December 2014). "Astronomers observe two stars so close to each other that they will end up merging into a supermassive star". ScienceDaily.
^ "Astronomers observe two stars so close to each other that they will end up merging into a supermassive star". Phys.org. 6 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
^ "Two huge stars are colliding in space — and might soon join in a huge explosion that will shed light on the beginning of the universe". The Independent. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
^ Attention: This template ({{cite doi}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201424345, please use {{cite journal}} (if it was published in a bona fide academic journal, otherwise {{cite report}} with |doi=10.1051/0004-6361/201424345 instead.

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[SIMBAD-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "V* MY Cam -- Ellipsoidal variable Star". SIMBAD. Retrieved 2014-12-12.

[NatGeo-2014-12-09-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Andrew Fazekas (9 December 2014). "Astronomers Spy Monster Star Merger on the Move".

[ScienceDaily-2014-12-05-3] Asociación RUVID (5 December 2014). "Astronomers observe two stars so close to each other that they will end up merging into a supermassive star". ScienceDaily.

[Phys.org-2014-12-06-4] "Astronomers observe two stars so close to each other that they will end up merging into a supermassive star". Phys.org. 6 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.

[Independent141210-5] "Two huge stars are colliding in space — and might soon join in a huge explosion that will shed light on the beginning of the universe". The Independent. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2014.

[10.1051/0004-6361/201424345-6] Attention: This template ({{cite doi}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201424345, please use {{cite journal}} (if it was published in a bona fide academic journal, otherwise {{cite report}} with |doi=10.1051/0004-6361/201424345 instead.

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