HD 64568 is a massive solitary[8] star in the southern constellation of Puppis. With an apparent magnitude of 9.39, it is too faint to be seen by the naked eye, but can barely be observed by binoculars, appearing as a blue-hued dot of light. It is located approximately 4,500 parsecs (15,000 light-years) distant according to Gaia EDR3parallax measurements.
Properties
HD 64568
Image of NGC 2467 from ESO. HD 64568 (circled) is in the top right.
In 1982, it was given the spectral type O3V((f*)), becoming the first object of its kind. The ((f*)) suffix signifies the presence of weak N IV (N3+) 4058 Åemission line and N V (N4+) absorption lines, the lack of any N III (N2+) emission, along with the strong He II (He+) 4686 Å absorption.[9]Radial velocity variations were discovered in 1986, which, at the time, was theorized to be either caused by an unseen binary companion or atmospheric instabilities seen in massive stars.[10] The latter theory was confirmed to be true by Markova (2011) as there was no evidence for a secondary object, and the variations are now thought to be the result of stellar pulsations and/or stellar wind variations. The same study also corroborated the O3V((f*)) classification.[8] Sota et al. (2014) updated the spectral type to O3V((f*))z, with the added "z" suffix to indicate that the 4686 Å helium line is abnormally strong.[3]
^ abCutri, Roc M.; Skrutskie, Michael F.; Van Dyk, Schuyler D.; Beichman, Charles A.; Carpenter, John M.; Chester, Thomas; Cambresy, Laurent; Evans, Tracey E.; Fowler, John W.; Gizis, John E.; Howard, Elizabeth V.; Huchra, John P.; Jarrett, Thomas H.; Kopan, Eugene L.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Light, Robert M.; Marsh, Kenneth A.; McCallon, Howard L.; Schneider, Stephen E.; Stiening, Rae; Sykes, Matthew J.; Weinberg, Martin D.; Wheaton, William A.; Wheelock, Sherry L.; Zacarias, N. (2003). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: 2MASS All-Sky Catalog of Point Sources (Cutri+ 2003)". CDS/ADC Collection of Electronic Catalogues. 2246: II/246. Bibcode:2003yCat.2246....0C.
^Solivella, G. R.; Niemela, V. S. (February 1986). "A radial velocity study of two early O stars". Revista Mexicana de Astronomia y Astrofisica. 12: 188. Bibcode:1986RMxAA..12..188S.