HD 74423 is a heartbeat binary star and one component pulsates on only one hemisphere. This is caused by tidal interaction with its partner. The star is located in the

Volans Volans is a constellation in the southern sky. It represents a flying fish; its name is a shortened form of its original name, Piscis Volans. Volans was one of twelve constellations created by Petrus Plancius from the observations of Pieter Dirks ...

constellation. HD 74423 is slightly

variable Variable may refer to: * Variable (computer science), a symbolic name associated with a value and whose associated value may be changed * Variable (mathematics), a symbol that represents a quantity in a mathematical expression, as used in many ...

in brightness. It fluctuates between magnitudes 8.58 and 8.66 every 19 hours. The exact variability type is unclear. It was initially found in a search for α² Canum Venaticorum variables and assumed to be one, but has since been considered to be a

δ Scuti variable A Delta Scuti variable (sometimes termed dwarf cepheid when the V-band amplitude is larger than 0.3 mag.) is a subclass of young pulsating star. These variables as well as classical cepheids are important standard candles and have been used to es ...

. The

spectrum A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors i ...

shows unusually strong

absorption line A spectral line is a dark or bright line in an otherwise uniform and continuous spectrum, resulting from emission or absorption of light in a narrow frequency range, compared with the nearby frequencies. Spectral lines are often used to iden ...

s of some

iron peak The iron peak is a local maximum in the vicinity of Fe ( Cr, Mn, Fe, Co and Ni) on the graph of the abundances of the chemical elements. For elements lighter than iron on the periodic table, nuclear fusion releases energy. For iron, and f ...

elements, a characteristic of λ Boötis stars. Both components are thought to show the chemical peculiarity.

References

External links

Press release
{{DEFAULTSORT:HD 74423 Volans (constellation) 074423 Lambda Boötis stars A-type main-sequence stars Durchmusterung objects Delta Scuti variables Alpha2 Canum Venaticorum variables Rotating ellipsoidal variables