HD 161056 (HIP 86768, HR 6601) is a bluish-white hued star in the equatorialconstellation of Ophiuchus. It has an apparent magnitude of 6.32, placing it near the limit for naked eye visibility under dark skies. The object is located approximately 1,340 light-years (410 parsecs) distant according to Gaia EDR3parallax measurements,[1] but it is moving closer at a heliocentric radial velocity of −26.0 km/s.
It is a luminous early B-type star, but its spectral type varies from publication to publication, most often between B1.5V,[6] implying a hot main-sequence star, and B3II/III,[7] indicative of a slightly cooler blue giant.
In 1985, the star was suggested as a standard for polarimetric observations via the Hubble Space Telescope, since the star's large distance from Earth produces a large interstellar polarization and its high luminosity makes it easily visible at such distances. In 1988, however, it was found that the star was slightly variable in polarization,[a] and thus unsuitable as a standard star.[9]
Nevertheless, Hubble observed the star's ultraviolet interstellar polarization, thanks to it having been well-researched in the visible spectrum, presenting results consistent with Serkowski's law[10]—an empirical formula regarding the dependency of interstellar polarization on wavelength.[11] The extensive collected polarization spectrum showed a close match to what would be expected from an interstellar dust composition of pure amorphousforsterite.[12]
HD 161056 is a runaway star and a candidate for producing a bow shock observable in the infrared.[15] Such stars commonly originate in multiple star systems, from which they were ejected due to gravitational interactions or supernovae of their companions,[16] and indeed it is possible that the star could have been in a binary system with the pulsarPSR B1929+10 about 1.1 million years ago, when it was located in the vicinity of IC 4665. However, Zeta Ophiuchi is considered more likely to have been its binary companion, in which scenario the pair possibly split up around 900,000 years ago.[17]
^ abcDucati, J. R. (2002). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: Catalogue of Stellar Photometry in Johnson's 11-color system". CDS/ADC Collection of Electronic Catalogues. 2237. Bibcode:2002yCat.2237....0D.
^ abBastien, P.; Vernet, E.; Drissen, L.; Menard, F.; Moffat, A. F. J.; Robert, C.; St-Louis, N. (April 2007). Sterken, C. (ed.). The variability of polarized standard stars. The Future of Photometric, Spectrophotometric and Polarimetric Standardization. ASP Conference Series. Vol. 364. Astronomical Society of the Pacific. p. 529. Bibcode:2007ASPC..364..529B.
^Wiktorowicz, Sloane J.; Słowikowska, Agnieszka; Nofi, Larissa A.; Rider, Nicole; Wolfgang, Angie; Hermis, Ninos; Jontof-Hutter, Daniel; Bayless, Amanda J.; Cole, Gary M.; Crawford, Kirk B.; Tsarev, Valeri V.; Owens, Michael C.; Jaramillo, Ernest G.; Maul, Geoffrey A.; Graham, James R.; Millar-Blanchaer, Maxwell A.; Bott, Kimberly; Mauerhan, Jon C. (1 February 2023). "A Decade of Linear and Circular Polarimetry with the POLISH2 Polarimeter". The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 264 (2). American Astronomical Society: 42. arXiv:2211.09279. Bibcode:2023ApJS..264...42W. doi:10.3847/1538-4365/aca407. ISSN0067-0049.
^Yi, Shitong (April 1981). 中西对照恒星图表 [Atlas Comparing Chinese and Western Star Maps and Catalogues] (in Chinese). 科学出版社.
^Somerville, W. B.; Allen, R. G.; Carnochan, D. J.; He, Lida; McNally, D.; Martin, P. G.; Morgan, D. H.; Nandy, K.; Walsh, J. R.; Whittet, D. C. B.; Wilson, R.; Wolff, M. J. (1994). "Ultraviolet interstellar polarization observed with the Hubble Space Telescope". The Astrophysical Journal. 427. American Astronomical Society: L47. Bibcode:1994ApJ...427L..47S. doi:10.1086/187361. ISSN0004-637X.