Pi1 Ursae Majoris (Pi1 UMa, π¹ Ursae Majoris, π¹ UMa) is a yellow G-typemain sequence dwarf with a mean apparent magnitude of +5.63. It is approximately 46.8 light years from Earth,[1] and is a relatively young star with an age of about 200 million years.[11] It is classified as a BY Draconis typevariable star and its brightness varies by 0.08 magnitudes. In 1986, it became the first solar-type star to have the emission from an X-ray flare observed.[14] Based upon its space velocity components, this star is a member of the Ursa Major moving group of stars that share a common motion through space.[7][10]
An excess of infrared radiation has been detected from this system, which suggests the presence of a debris disk. The best fit to the data indicates that there is a ring of fine debris out to a radius of about 0.4 AU, consisting of 0.25 μm grains of amorphous silicates or crystalline forsterite. There may also be a wider ring of larger (10 μm) grains out to a distance of 16 AU.[15]
Naming and etymology
With π2, σ1, σ2, ρ, A and d, it composed the Arabic asterismAl Ṭhibā᾽, the Gazelle.[16] According to the catalogue of stars in the Technical Memorandum 33-507 - A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars, Al Ṭhibā were the title for seven stars : A as Althiba I, this star (π1) as Althiba II, π2 as Althiba III, ρ as Althiba IV, σ1 as Althiba V, σ2 as Althiba VI, and d as Althiba VII.[17]
^ abJohnson, H. L.; et al. (1966), "UBVRIJKL photometry of the bright stars", Communications of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, 4 (99): 99, Bibcode:1966CoLPL...4...99J
^Landini, M.; et al. (March 1986), "EXOSAT detection of an X-ray flare from the solar type star Pi-prime UMa", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 157 (2): 217–222, Bibcode:1986A&A...157..217L