η Lyrae (Latinised toEta Lyrae) is the binary star'sBayer designation. Its designation as theA component of a double star, and of its two constituents as theAa andAb components, derives from the convention used by the Washington Multiplicity Catalog (WMC) formultiple star systems, and adopted by theInternational Astronomical Union (IAU).[12]
Eta Lyrae bore the traditional nameAladfar, from theArabicالأظفرal-ʼuẓfur "the talons (of the swooping eagle)", a name it shares withMu Lyrae (though the latter is typically spelledAlathfar).[13] TheWorking Group on Star Names (WGSN)[14] has approved the nameAladfar for the Aa component of the system (the primary component of Eta Lyrae).[15]
The visible component of this system is a massiveB-type star with astellar classification of B2.5IV.[3] It is around 23[6] million years old with ten[6] times the mass of the Sun and a low rotational velocity. The star is radiating around 19,095 times the luminosity of the Sun from itsphotosphere at aneffective temperature of 19,525 K.[5] Amagnetic field has been detected with an average quadratic field strength of(169.0±115.9)×10−4T.[18]
^abLesh, Janet Rountree (December 1968), "The Kinematics of the Gould Belt: an Expanding Group?",Astrophysical Journal Supplement,17: 371,Bibcode:1968ApJS...17..371L,doi:10.1086/190179
^abAbt, H. A.; Levy, S. G. (1978). "Binaries among B2-B5 IV, V absorption and emission stars".The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series.36: 241.Bibcode:1978ApJS...36..241A.doi:10.1086/190498.
^Heard, J. F. (1949). "An Analysis of Radial-Velocity Measures of Eight Stars Formerly Assigned to the Beta Cephei Group".The Astrophysical Journal.109: 185.Bibcode:1949ApJ...109..185H.doi:10.1086/145122.
^Pearce, J. A.; Petrie, R. M. (1951). "Revised radial velocities of seventy-nine B-type stars".Publications of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory Victoria.8:409–427.Bibcode:1951PDAO....8..409P.