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Proper NameNone
Bayer Designationd Serpentis
Flamsteed Number59 Serpentis
HR (BSC)6918
HD169985 (A), 169986 (B)
ConstellationSerpens
Right Ascension18h 27m 13s
Declination+0° 11' 46"
Distance469 light years
144 parsecs
MagnitudeApparent: +5.19 (A), +7.57 (B)
Absolute: -0.60 (A), +1.78 (B)
Spectral ClassA0IV white subgiant (A)
G0III yellow giant (B)
Optimum VisibilityJuly

A fifth magnitude star lying near the end of the Tail of Serpens the Serpent as it points northeastward along the Milky Way towards Aquila. d Serpentis falls between the brighter stars Eta Serpentis and Alya, the star that marks the end of the Serpent's Tail. It lies some 469 light years from the Solar System.

Imagery provided by Aladin sky atlas

d Serpentis is a ternary star system. At its heart is a binary pair in close orbit around one another, with a third star pursuing a more distant path around the central pair. The central binary consists of a yellow giant and a white main sequence star in an extremely close orbit, while the third more distant companion is a yellow-orange giant. The entire system shows irregular changes in brightness due to eruptive activity, perhaps due to interactions between the two close central stars of the system.

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