- Details
- Published on 12 October 2012
Vol. 546
In section 7. Stellar structure and evolution
Large distance of epsilon Aurigae inferred from interstellar absorption and reddening
Epsilon Aurigae is an eclipsing binary with the longest orbital period known (27 years). The visible component of the system is an F-type star surrounded by a disk. Because the distance is very uncertain, both high-mass and low-mass models are discussed in the literature in which the F star is either a massive supergiant or a post-asymptotic giant branch star, respectively. The authors analyze the interstellar extinction in the field of epsilon Aurigae and estimate a distance of 1-2 kpc. This indicates that the high-mass model is the correct one.