The distance to this system remains poorly constrained. The newHipparcos reduction gives aparallax of5.76±6.42.[1] The original Hipparcos parallax was given as7.29±0.96,[8] leading to a distance of137.2+20.8 −16.0pc being assumed in many texts. A distance of163 pc has been derived from fitting the spectrum.[4]
26 Aurigae is a visual binary system, and the two stars orbit each other every 52.735 years with an ellipticity of 0.653 and anangular separation0.154″.[4] The system is made of a magnitude 6.29[3]G-typered giant, and a hotter magnitude 6.21[3] star that has been classified as an earlyB-type main-sequence star to anA-typesubgiant star.[4] Component A is the cool giant star, the brighter but less massive of the pair.[9][4] The hotter star is sometimes listed as the primary on the basis of its stronger showing in the blendedspectrum.[10]
^abHøg, E.; et al. (2000). "The Tycho-2 catalogue of the 2.5 million brightest stars".Astronomy and Astrophysics.355:L27 –L30.Bibcode:2000A&A...355L..27H.
^abcdefghiRica Romero, F. M. (2008). "Orbital Elements for BU 1240 AB. Nature of the C and D Components".Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica.44:137–147.Bibcode:2008RMxAA..44..137R.
^abMermilliod, J.-C. (1986). "Compilation of Eggen's UBV data, transformed to UBV (unpublished)".Catalogue of Eggen's UBV Data.Bibcode:1986EgUBV........0M.
^Samus, N. N.; Durlevich, O. V.; et al. (2009). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: General Catalogue of Variable Stars (Samus+ 2007-2013)".VizieR On-line Data Catalog: B/GCVS. Originally Published in: 2009yCat....102025S.1: B/gcvs.Bibcode:2009yCat....102025S.
