TY Pyxidis is an

eclipsing binary A binary star is a system of two stars that are gravitationally bound to and in orbit around each other. Binary stars in the night sky that are seen as a single object to the naked eye are often resolved using a telescope as separate stars, in wh ...

star in the constellation

Pyxis Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Abbreviated from Pyxis Nautica, its name is Latin for a mariner's compass (contrasting with Circinus, which represents a draftsman's compasses). Pyxis was introduced by Nicolas-Lo ...

. The

apparent magnitude Apparent magnitude () is a measure of the brightness of a star or other astronomical object observed from Earth. An object's apparent magnitude depends on its intrinsic luminosity, its distance from Earth, and any extinction of the object's li ...

ranges from 6.85 to 7.5 over 3.2 days. The two components are both of spectral type G5IV, have a mass of 1.2 solar masses and revolve around each other every 3.2 days. Each star is around 2.2 times the diameter of the Sun. The system is classified as either a

RS Canum Venaticorum variable An RS Canum Venaticorum variable is a type of variable star. The variable type consists of close binary stars having active chromospheres which can cause large stellar spots. These spots are believed to cause variations in their observed luminosity. ...

or a

BY Draconis variable BY Draconis variables are variable stars of late spectral types, usually K or M, and typically belong to the main sequence. The name comes from the archetype for this category of variable star system, BY Draconis. They exhibit variations in the ...

, stars that vary on account of prominent starspot activity, and lies 184 ± 5 light years away. The system emits X-rays, and analysing the emission curve over time led Pres and colleagues to conclude that there was a loop of material arcing between the two stars.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:TY Pyxidis Pyxis BY Draconis variables RS Canum Venaticorum variables Durchmusterung objects 044164 077137 G-type subgiants Pyxidis, TY