Mu Velorum [SEP] constellation
Mu Velorum
Mu Velorum (μ Vel, μ Velorum) is a binary star system in the southern constellation Vela. The two stars orbit each other with a semi-major axis of 1.437 arcseconds and a period of 116.24 years. (Wulff-Dieter Heintz (1986) lists a period of 138 years with his orbital elements.) The pair have a combined apparent visual magnitude of 2.69, making the system readily visible to the naked eye. From parallax measurements, the distance to this system is estimated to
. The quiescent X-ray luminosity of Mu Velorum A is about .
The fainter companion, Mu Velorum B, is a main sequence star with an apparent magnitude of 6.4 and an assigned stellar classification of G2V. However, this classification is suspect. Closer examination of the spectrum suggests the star may actually have a classification of F4V or F5V, which suggests a mass of about 1.5 times the mass of the Sun. Such stars typically do not show a marked level of magnetic activity.