RY Persei is a variable star in the northern constellation of Perseus, abbreviated RY Per. It is an Algol variable with a period of 6.8635663 days, which indicates this is an eclipsing binary star system with an orbital plane oriented close to the line of sight from the Earth. The system has a maximum apparent visual magnitude of 8.50, which drops down to magnitude 10.25 during the eclipse of the primary component, then to 8.65 with the secondary eclipse.[3] Based on parallax measurements, this system is located at a distance of approximately 2,960 light years from the Sun, but is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −12 km/s.[5]
The hot component was found to be rotating rapidly with a projected velocity of 280 km/s.[8] This rotation is asynchronous with the orbital rotation rate. The system is understood to be a semidetached binary although close to being a full contact binary.[9] The secondary component is the more evolved star and is filling its Roche lobe. The primary component was originally the less massive of the pair, but has since accreted mass from its partner.[6] This transfer has caused the rapid spin up of the hotter star.[7]
The primary component appears to be a B-type main-sequence star[7] with a stellar classification of B4.[4] It has 6.3 times the mass and 4 times the radius of the Sun.[6] The star is spinning with a projected rotational velocity of 280 km/s and is being viewed from close to the equator.[8] It is radiating 1,630 times the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 18,250 K.[6] Separated from the primary by 30 times the radius of the Sun is the secondary partner.[7] It is an F-type giant of class F5III.[4] Presently it has 1.6 times the mass of the Sun but has expanded to 8.1 times the Sun's radius.[6] This star is radiating 95 times the Sun's luminosity at a temperature of 6,017 K.[9]
^ abcLevato, H. (January 1975), "Rotational velocities and spectral types for a sample of binary systems", Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series, 19: 91–99, Bibcode:1975A&AS...19...91L.
^ abcvan Hamme, W.; Wilson, R. E. (November 1986), "The asynchronously rotating Algol binaries U Sagittae and RY Persei", Astronomical Journal, 92: 1168–1177, Bibcode:1986AJ.....92.1168V, doi:10.1086/114249.
Sudar, D.; et al. (April 2012), Richards, M. T.; Hubeny, I. (eds.), "Applying the Steepest Descent Method with BINSYN on RY Per Photometry", Interacting Binaries to Exoplanets: Essential Modeling Tools, Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, IAU Symposium, vol. 282, pp. 323–324, Bibcode:2012IAUS..282..323S, doi:10.1017/S1743921311027724, S2CID121113661.
Ichinohe, Naozo (January 1907), "On the period of the variable star 120.1906 (DM +47 degrees 692)", Astronomical Journal, 25 (591): 128, Bibcode:1907AJ.....25..128I, doi:10.1086/103733