{"id":45393,"date":"2023-05-18T07:52:36","date_gmt":"2023-05-18T07:52:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/?p=118922"},"modified":"2023-05-18T10:33:47","modified_gmt":"2023-05-18T10:33:47","slug":"can-you-spot-star-diadem-a-trinket-in-a-queens-hair","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/can-you-spot-star-diadem-a-trinket-in-a-queens-hair\/","title":{"rendered":"Can you spot star Diadem, a trinket in a queen\u2019s hair?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Facts about the binary star located in Coma Berenices. <\/p>

By Pete Lawrence\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 18 May 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Diadem (Alpha (<\/span>\u03b1) Comae Berenices) is the principal star of Coma Berenices<\/a>, Queen Berenice\u2019s Hair.<\/span><\/p>\n

The hair in question belonged to Queen Berenice II of Egypt, who pledged it to the gods in exchange for the safe return of her husband, King Ptolemy III Euergetes.<\/span><\/p>\n

The star is located in the southeast corner of Coma Berenices, 15<\/span>\u00b0 to the west of the bright, orange giant, Arcturus (Alpha (<\/span>\u03b1) Bootis). <\/span><\/p>\n

At mag. +4.3, Diadem is the second-brightest star in Coma Berenices after Beta (<\/span>\u03b2), located 10.4<\/span>\u00b0 to the north. <\/span><\/p>\n

Coma Berenices is characterised by the large, triangular-shaped open cluster, Melotte 111, which is located further to the west. <\/span>It\u2019s the faint cluster stars that represent the queen\u2019s hair.<\/span><\/p>\n

Diadem and Beta Comae Berenices are not part of the cluster.<\/span><\/p>\n

\""An\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
An illustration showing how Coma Berenices is supposed to represent flowing strands of hair. Credit: Ivan Leonov \/ Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Diadem is derived from the Arabic meaning \u2018the braid\u2019. It\u2019s a binary star<\/a> consisting of two equally bright components of magnitudes<\/a> +5.1.<\/span><\/p>\n

The orbital period for the binary is relatively short at 25.87 years. From Earth, the maximum separation we see between both stars is 0.7 arcseconds.<\/span><\/p>\n

When closest, they appear inseparable, the inclination of their orbital plane being just one-tenth of a degree.<\/span><\/p>\n

The last close passage occurred in 2001, which means the pair are currently closing for another.<\/span><\/p>\n

As well as sharing the same brightness, the two binary components of Diadem are F5 dwarfs, both shining with a warm, yellowish hue.<\/span><\/p>\n

This guide originally appeared in the May 2023 issue of <\/strong><\/em>BBC Sky at Night Magazine<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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