Lesson plan
Lambda Cassiopeiae
Lambda Cassiopeiae is a binary star system in the northern constellation of Cassiopeia. Its name is a Bayer designation that is Latinized from λ Cassiopeiae, and abbreviated Lambda Cas or λ Cas. The system has a combined apparent magnitude of +4.74, making it faintly visible to the naked eye. With an annual parallax shift of , it is approximately 380 light years from Earth. The system is moving closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of −12 km/s. Both components are blue-white B-type main-sequence stars. The brighter member, component A, has an apparent magnitude of +5.5, while its companion, component B, has an apparent magnitude of +5.8. The two stars are separated by 0.6 arcseconds and complete one orbit around their common centre of mass about once every 250 years. The primary displays an infrared excess, possibly due to a debris disk or other orbiting material.
Article summary
Lambda Cassiopeiae is a binary star system in the northern constellation of Cassiopeia. Its name is a Bayer designation that is Latinized from λ Cassiopeiae, and abbreviated Lambda Cas or λ Cas. The system has a combined apparent magnitude of +4.74, making it faintly visible to the naked eye. With an annual parallax shift of , it is approximately 380 light years from Earth. The system is moving closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of −12 km/s. Both components are blue-white B-type main-sequence stars. The brighter member, component A, has an apparent magnitude of +5.5, while its companion, component B, has an apparent magnitude of +5.8. The two stars are separated by 0.6 arcseconds and complete one orbit around their common centre of mass about once every 250 years. The primary displays an infrared excess, possibly due to a debris disk or other orbiting material.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.