Gamma Cancri is a star in the northern constellation of Cancer. Its name is a Bayer designation that is Latinized from γ Cancri, and abbreviated Gamma Cnc or γ Cnc. This star is formally named Asellus Borealis, pronounced , the traditional name of the system. Based on parallax measurements, it is located at a distance of approximately from the Sun. The star is drifting further away with a radial velocity of 29 km/s. but is now considered a single star. Since it is near the ecliptic, it can be occulted by the Moon.
Nomenclature
γ Cancri (Latinised to Gamma Cancri) is the star's Bayer designation. It bore the traditional name Asellus Borealis (Latin for "northern donkey"). In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalogue and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN decided to attribute proper names to individual stars rather than entire multiple systems. It approved the name Asellus Borealis for the star on 6 November 2016 and it is now so included in the List of IAU-approved Star Names.
In Chinese astronomy, Ghost () refers to an asterism consisting of Theta Cancri, Eta Cancri, Gamma Cancri and Delta Cancri. Gamma Cancri itself is known as the third star of Ghost ().
Properties
Gamma Cancri presents as a white A-type subgiant with an apparent magnitude of +4.67.
References
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