astronomy

HD 126614

HD 126614 is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand HD 126614 rather than just read about it. In short: HD 126614 is a trinary star system in the equatorial constellation of Virgo. The primary member, designated component A, is host to an exoplanetary companion.

Key takeaways

HD 126614 belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect HD 126614 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of HD 126614 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

HD 126614 is a trinary star system in the equatorial constellation of Virgo. The primary member, designated component A, is host to an exoplanetary companion. With an apparent visual magnitude of 8.81, it is too faint to be seen with the naked eye. The system is located at a distance of 239 light years from the Sun based on parallax measurements, but is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −33 km/s.

Stellar system

HD 126614 A The primary is a late G-type star with a stellar classification of G8IV. It is a super metal-rich star; among the most metal-rich stars currently known. This is most likely an evolving subgiant star, but the very high metallicity makes comparisons to standard spectral types difficult.

HD 126614 C In 2010, a close stellar companion was resolved and designated component C. This object is a faint red dwarf at an angular separation of 0.5″, which corresponds to a projected physical separation of ~ 36 AU. More recent observations using radial velocity and astrometry have refined the parameters of HD 126614 C. It has an orbital period of about 60 years, with a smaller semi-major axis of 15 AU and a very low mass of 81.1 MJ. This mass is very near the mass limit allowed for hydrogen fusion.

HD 126614 B The outer companion, designated LP 680-57, was first reported in 1960 with the W. J. Luyten proper motion catalog. It is a magnitude 17.0 red dwarf with a class of M5.5, located at an angular separation of 41.90″ from the primary along a position angle of 299°, as of 2015. They have a physical projected separation of 3,040 AU. The common proper motion of the system has been confirmed, indicating that they are gravitationally bound. Many multiple star catalogues still refer to this companion as component B, as it was known prior to the discovery of the closer companion.

Planetary system A Doppler search for giant planets begun in 1997 at the Keck Observatory provided an 11 year baseline for detecting periodicity in the primary star's radial velocity data. In 2010, a Jovian companion was announced with an orbital period of 3.41 years. In 2022, the inclination and true mass of HD 126614 Ab were measured via astrometry.

See also HD 34445 HD 24496 HD 13931 Gliese 179 QS Virginis List of extrasolar planets

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with HD 126614

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what HD 126614 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to HD 126614 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about HD 126614 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of HD 126614

In research: HD 126614 appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses HD 126614 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: HD 126614 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Durchmusterung objects, G-type subgiants, Henry Draper Catalogue objects, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for HD 126614 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study HD 126614 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what HD 126614 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain HD 126614 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is HD 126614 in simple terms?

HD 126614 is a trinary star system in the equatorial constellation of Virgo. The primary member, designated component A, is host to an exoplanetary companion.

Why does HD 126614 matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study HD 126614?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on HD 126614.