RW Ursae Minoris

RW Ursae Minoris

Observation data Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation	Ursa Minor
Right ascension	16^h 47^m 54.75^s [1]
Declination	+77° 02′ 12.2″ [1]
Distance	16,300 ly ({{{dist_pc}}} pc)

RW Ursae Minoris (Nova Ursae Minoris 1956) is a cataclysmic variable star system that flared up as a nova in the constellation Ursa Minor in 1956. Before the eruption, it had an apparent magnitude of 21 before flaring up to an approximate magnitude of 6. In 2003, it was still two magnitudes brighter than its baseline, and dimming at a rate of 0.02 magnitude a year. Its distance has been calculated as 5000 ± 800 parsecs (16,300 light-years), which puts its location in the galactic halo.^[2]

References

1. SIMBAD, RW Ursae Minoris (accessed 25 May 2014)
2. Bianchini, A.; Tappert, C.; Canterna, R.; Tamburini, F.; Osborne, H.; Cantrell, K. "RW Ursae Minoris (1956): An Evolving Postnova System". The Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 115 (809): 811–18. Bibcode:2003PASP..115..811B. doi:10.1086/376434.