Properties
It is approximately 210 light years from Earth. The light from the four stars in the system give a combined apparent magnitude of +3.80.
The system consists of a pair of binary stars separated by 66 arcseconds. The primary component, Delta Serpentis A, is a yellow-white F-type subgiant with an apparent magnitude of +4.2. It is classified as a Delta Scuti type variable star and its magnitude varies by 0.04 with a period of 0.134 days. Its binary companion, Delta Serpentis B, is also a F-type subgiant which is slightly dimmer, with a magnitude of +5.2. A and B are separated by four arcseconds on the sky, and perform one orbit around their centre of mass once every 3200 years. The 14th magnitude stars Delta Serpentis C and 15th magnitude Delta Serpentis D form the second binary sub-system. They are separated from each other by 4.4 arcseconds.
Read more about this topic: Delta Serpentis
Famous quotes containing the word properties:
“A drop of water has the properties of the sea, but cannot exhibit a storm. There is beauty of a concert, as well as of a flute; strength of a host, as well as of a hero.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“The reason why men enter into society, is the preservation of their property; and the end why they choose and authorize a legislative, is, that there may be laws made, and rules set, as guards and fences to the properties of all the members of the society: to limit the power, and moderate the dominion, of every part and member of the society.”
—John Locke (1632–1704)