Luyten’s Star

Authors: Eric Mamajek, Susanne M Hoffmann, Youla Azkarrula

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Modern name for GJ 273 = LHS 33 = BD+5 1668 in CMi. Early parallax estimate of this high pm star (3.5”/yr) by Luyten & Ebbighausen (1935) of plx=0.40+-0.15” suggested it might be one of the closest stars. Current values: M3.5V star (V=9.9 mag) at d=3.8 pc. Two confirmed exoplanets and two candidates.

Etymology and History

discovery note (screenshot) of Luyten's star

Shortly after the discovery, “Luyten’s Star” started appearing in works:

• A list of nearby stars in an astronomy lab manual by R.K. Marshall) (1938),
• a Sky & Telescope article in 1941,
• a story on van de Kamp’s astrometric work by John Michels (1943),
• a textbook by Fath (1944), etc.
• "Luyten" in Allen (1963; Astrophysical Quantities),
• “Luyten’s Flare Star” in Burnham (1978).
• "Luyten's Star" in Spite & Lahmek (1982),
• Fernandez (1983),
• Sinnott & Perryman (1997),
• Cox (2000),
• Kaler (2006).

Name used sporadically in astro conference posters/proceedings: Biller+(2010), Vakoch+(2018), Marfil+(2018), Lazaro+(2019). Name has also appeared in numerous books including fiction.

Name is already in SIMBAD. Wikipedia

IAU Star Name

WGSN discussed the name in 2022 but decided (for the time being) not to name stars after people.