R Geminorium (R Gem) is a Mira variable and technetium star in the constellation Gemini. When at maximum light its apparent visual magnitude usually is between 6 and 7, while at minimum light it is typically near magnitude 14.[2] It is located approximately 575 parsecs (1,880 ly) away.[1]
It is one of the brightest known examples of an S-type star, a type that is similar to M-type star, but whose spectra shows zirconium oxide, yttrium oxide and technetium.[3] These exotic elements are formed in the star's core. Technetium has a half-life of just 4.2 million years, so it must have been brought up from the core relatively recently. R Gem has an unusual amount of it, even for an S-type star.[3]
References
^ abc"R Geminorum". SIMBAD Astronomical Database. Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
^"Light Curve Generator". American Association of Variable Star Observers. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
^ abMacRobert, Alan (January 2015). "Weird R Gem Climbs to Maximum". Sky & Telescope. 129 (1): 51.
