RY Tauri

RY Tauri

Nebula around RY Tauri observed with Gemini
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox ICRS
Constellation Taurus
Right ascension 04h 21m 57.4133s[citation needed]
Declination +28° 26′ 35.534″[citation needed]
Apparent magnitude (V) 9.5 - 11.5
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage pre-main-sequence star
Spectral type F7
Apparent magnitude (G) 10.706
Variable type T Tau
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)24.3±1.9 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: 8.744 mas/yr
Dec.: −27.002 mas/yr
Parallax (π)7.2349±0.2031 mas
Distance450 ± 10 ly
(138 ± 4 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)+2.11 (at magnitude 9.55)
Position (relative to RY Tauri)
Component2MASS J04215810+2826300
Angular distance10.83″
Position angle122.41°
Projected separation1500 AU
Details
Mass1.95+0.10
−0.17 M☉
Radius3.2 R☉
Luminosity11.6 L☉
Surface gravity (log g)3.70±0.21 cgs
Temperature5,495±143 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]0.32±0.28 dex
Rotation2.97+0.88
−0.55 days
Rotational velocity (v sin i)50±2 km/s
Age4.29+1.43
−0.89 Myr
Other designations
BD+28 645, HD 283571, HIP 20387, TYC 1828-129-1, GSC 01828-00129, 2MASS J04215740+2826355, Gaia DR2 164551162164119424
Database references
SIMBADdata

RY Tauri is a young T Tauri star in the constellation of Taurus about 450 light years away, belonging to the Taurus Molecular Cloud. It is more massive than typical T Tauri stars, and may be an intermediate between this class and the Herbig Ae/Be star type.

Stellar system

There was one suspected stellar companion to RY Tauri, a 14.81 magnitude object 2MASS J04215810+2826300 discovered in 2008 at a projected separation of 1500 AU. It was proven to be a background star not related to RY Tauri with Gaia data though.

Protoplanetary system

The star is surrounded by a protoplanetary disk discovered in 2006. The disk is massive at 0.3M☉ and consists mostly of gas. The existence of a protoplanetary disk is disputed; the signal can also be attributed to the birth envelope partially disrupted by the young star. Also, polar jets were detected. The jets contain detectable amounts of oxygen and sulfur. A superjovian planet on a 0.2 AU orbit is suspected since 2021.

The planetary system
Companion
(in order from star)		 Mass Semimajor axis
(AU)		 Orbital period
(days)		 Eccentricity Inclination
(°)		 Radius
protoplanetary disk 0.21–80 AU 65° —

Variability

A visual band light curve for RY Tauri, shawing variability on three different time scales, adapted from Ismailov and Adygezalzade (2012), Ismailov et al. (2011) and Siwak et al. (2011)

Henrietta Swan Leavitt's discovery that RY Tauri is a variable star was reported in 1907. It is a highly (by 1.5 magnitudes) obscured Orion variable, producing fluctuations of brightness as the star shines through the inhomogeneities of the inner part of the protoplanetary disk. It also produces irregular brightening events with a duration of about a month and amplitude of one magnitude. The light curve of RY Tauri varies by 2-3 magnitudes over a decade and by roughly one magnitude over a year. The star was gradually brightening during the 20th century, possibly changing the variability mechanism in the process.

References

  1. ↑ Roman, Nancy G. (1987). "Identification of a constellation from a position". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 99 (617): 695. Bibcode:1987PASP...99..695R. doi:10.1086/132034. Constellation record for this object at VizieR.
  2. 1 2 Gorda, S Yu; Mkrtichian, D. E.; Fernandez, M.; Irsmambetova, T. R.; Shenavrin, V. I.; Gahm, G. F.; Djupvik, A. A.; De Albuquerque, R M G.; Babina, E. V.; Artemenko, S. A.; Gameiro, J. F.; Grankin, K. N.; Petrov, P. P. (2019), "Dynamics of wind and the dusty environments in the accreting T Tauri stars RY Tauri and SU Aurigae", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 483: 132–146, arXiv:1811.08635, doi:10.1093/mnras/sty3066
  3. 1 2 Giannini, T.; Nisini, B.; Antoniucci, S.; Biazzo, K.; Alcalá, J.; Bacciotti, F.; Fedele, D.; Frasca, A.; Harutyunyan, A.; Munari, U.; Rigliaco, E.; Vitali, F. (2019), "GIARPS High-resolution Observations of T Tauri stars (GHOsT). I: Jet line emission", Astronomy & Astrophysics, A44: 631, arXiv:1909.10392, Bibcode:2019A&A...631A..44G, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201936085, S2CID 202719615
  4. 1 2 3 4 Brown, A. G. A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2021). "Gaia Early Data Release 3: Summary of the contents and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 649: A1. arXiv:2012.01533. Bibcode:2021A&A...649A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202039657. S2CID 227254300. (Erratum: doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202039657e). Gaia EDR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  5. ↑ Samus, N. N.; Durlevich, O. V.; et al. (2009). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: General Catalogue of Variable Stars (Samus+ 2007-2013)". VizieR On-line Data Catalog: B/GCVS. Originally Published in: 2009yCat....102025S. 1: B/GCVS. Bibcode:2009yCat....102025S.
  6. 1 2 Itoh, Yoichi; Tamura, Motohide; Hayashi, Masahiko; Oasa, Yumiko; Hayashi, Saeko S.; Fukagawa, Misato; Kudo, Tomoyuki; Mayama, Satoshi; Ishii, Miki; Pyo, Tae-Soo; Yamashita, Takuya; Morino, Junichi (2008), "Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of Faint Companions around Young Stellar Objects Associated with the Taurus Molecular Cloud", Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan, 60 (2): 209–218, Bibcode:2008PASJ...60..209I, doi:10.1093/pasj/60.2.209, hdl:20.500.14094/90001427
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mendigutía, I.; Campbell-White, J.; Montesinos, B.; Maldonado, J.; Fullana-García, L.; Mirouh, G. M.; Meeus, G.; Vioque, M.; Sicilia-Aguilar, A.; Zapatero-Osorio, M. R.; Villaver, E.; Kahar, R. (2026-04-06). "Lithium and the evolution of intermediate-mass T Tauri and Herbig stars. Rotation, accretion, and planets". Astronomy & Astrophysics. arXiv:2604.05040. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202659302. ISSN 0004-6361.
  8. 1 2 Davies, Claire L.; Kraus, Stefan; Harries, Tim J.; Monnier, John D.; Kloppenborg, Brian; Aarnio, Alicia; Baron, Fabien; Lopez, Rebeca Garcia; Millan-Gabet, Rafael; Parks, Robert; Pedretti, Ettore; Perraut, Karine; Sturmann, Judit; Sturmann, Laszlo; Ten Brummelaar, Theo A.; Touhami, Yamina (2020), "The Inner Disk of RY Tau: Evidence of Stellar Occultation by the Disk Atmosphere at the Sublimation Rim from K-band Continuum Interferometry", The Astrophysical Journal, 897 (1): 31, arXiv:2005.06932, Bibcode:2020ApJ...897...31D, doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ab93c1, S2CID 218628839
  9. 1 2 Monnier, J. D.; Berger, J.-P.; Millan-Gabet, R.; Traub, W. A.; Schloerb, F. P.; Pedretti, E.; Benisty, M.; Carleton, N. P.; Haguenauer, P.; Kern, P.; Labeye, P.; Lacasse, M. G.; Malbet, F.; Perraut, K.; Pearlman, M.; Zhao, M. (2006), "Few Skewed Disks Found in First Closure-Phase Survey of Herbig Ae/Be stars", The Astrophysical Journal, 647 (1): 444–463, arXiv:astro-ph/0606052, Bibcode:2006ApJ...647..444M, doi:10.1086/505340, S2CID 7357373
  10. ↑ Brown, A. G. A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2021). "Gaia Early Data Release 3: Summary of the contents and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 649: A1. arXiv:2012.01533. Bibcode:2021A&A...649A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202039657. S2CID 227254300. (Erratum: doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202039657e). Gaia EDR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  11. 1 2 3 Davies, Claire L.; Kraus, Stefan; Harries, Tim J.; Monnier, John D.; Kloppenborg, Brian; Aarnio, Alicia; Baron, Fabien; Lopez, Rebeca Garcia; Millan-Gabet, Rafael; Parks, Robert; Pedretti, Ettore; Perraut, Karine; Sturmann, Judit; Sturmann, Laszlo; Ten Brummelaar, Theo A.; Touhami, Yamina (2020), "The inner disk of RY Tau: evidence of stellar occultation by the disk atmosphere at the sublimation rim from K-band continuum interferometry", The Astrophysical Journal, 897 (1): 31, arXiv:2005.06932, Bibcode:2020ApJ...897...31D, doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ab93c1, S2CID 218628839
  12. 1 2 Garufi, A.; et al. (2019), "The SPHERE view of the jet and the envelope of RY Tau", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 628: A68, arXiv:1906.06910, Bibcode:2019A&A...628A..68G, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201935546, S2CID 189927976
  13. ↑ Petrov, P. P.; Romanova, M. M.; Grankin, K. N.; Artemenko, S. A.; Babina, E. V.; Gorda, S Yu (2021), "Modulated accretion in the T Tauri star RY Tau – a stable MHD propeller or a planet at 0.2 au?", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 504: 871–877, arXiv:2104.00433, doi:10.1093/mnras/stab904
  14. ↑ Ismailov, N. Z.; Adygezalzade, A. N. (February 2012). "Light Curve Analysis for RY Tau". Astronomy Reports. 56 (2): 131–137. Bibcode:2012ARep...56..131I. doi:10.1134/S1063772912020023. S2CID 255203421. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  15. ↑ Ismailov, N. Z.; Shustarev, P. N.; Adigezalzade, A. N.; Bahaddinova, G. R. (January 2011). "Variability of the Spectrum and Brightness of RY Tau". Astronomy Letters. 37 (11): 783–790. Bibcode:2011AstL...37..783I. doi:10.1134/S1063773711100033. S2CID 119973584. Retrieved 3 April 2022.[permanent dead link]
  16. ↑ Siwak, Michal; Rucinski, Slavek M.; Matthews, Jaymie M.; Kuschnig, Rainer; Guenther, David B.; Moffat, Anthony F. J.; Sasselov, Dimitar; Weiss, Werner W. (August 2011). "Analysis of MOST light curves of five young stars in Taurus–Auriga and Lupus 3 star-forming regions". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 415 (2): 1119–1124. arXiv:1101.5806. Bibcode:2011MNRAS.415.1119S. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18683.x.
  17. ↑ Pickering, Edward C. (August 1907). "71 new variable stars in Harvard Maps Nos. 9, 12, 21, 48 and 51". Astronomische Nachrichten. 175: 333–338. Bibcode:1907AN....175..333P. doi:10.1002/asna.19071752006. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  18. ↑ Zajtseva, G.; Petrov, P.; Ilyin, I.; Duemler, R.; Tuominen, I. (1996), "RY Tauri at High Brightness", Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4408: 1, Bibcode:1996IBVS.4408....1Z
  19. ↑ Beck, Tracy L.; Simon, M. (2001), "The Variability of T Tauri, RY Tauri, and RW Aurigae from 1899 to 1952", The Astronomical Journal, 122 (1): 413–417, arXiv:astro-ph/0104268, Bibcode:2001AJ....122..413B, doi:10.1086/321133, S2CID 14520286