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   ContentHTML : '<img src=\'images/ferant/taurus/lam_tau_lt_crv_sm.jpg\' alt="Lambda Tauri" width=360 height=240 align=right vspace=0 border=2></a> <b>Lambda Tauri, which doesn\'t have a proper name,</b> is a beautiful example of a rare variable star known as an eclipsing binary located approximately 360 light years from us. Lambda Tauri, which visually appears as a single star, is actually a close binary pair. The primary (Lambda Tau A) is a hot blue sub-giant (6.8 times the mass and 4000 times the luminosity of the Sun) while the smaller secondary (Lambda Tau B) is a yellow-white dwarf (1.8 times the mass and 95 times the luminosity of the Sun). The two stars are separated by a distance that is only about 1/4 of the distance of Mercury from the Sun. Consequently, they orbit a common point (their center of gravity) in 3.95 days.<br><br>From our vantage point, their orbital plane is tipped approximately 24 degrees from directly edge on, such that the smaller B star alternately passes partially in front of and then behind the larger A star. When the two are not in eclipse, their combined light visually appears to us at a magnitude of 3.8. During the primary eclipse, in which the smaller passes in front of the larger, the stars\' combined luminosity dips to a magnitude of 4.1. A secondary eclipse occurs when the smaller passes behind the larger. The drop in brightness for the secondary eclipse is not nearly as dramatic as the primary, due to the fact that the primary is intrinsically a much brighter star. Additionally, the brightest point in the cycle occurs just before and just after the secondary eclipse when light from the brighter star is reflected by the smaller star, which is situated behind and to one side of the larger. The pair orbits so near each other that it is believed that a mass transfer is occuring between the smaller and the larger.<br><br>The chart above is a typical light curve for the pair, showing the dips in brightness over a period of two primary and two secondary eclipses. Because Lambda is easily visible to the naked eye, any interested backyard astronomer can monitor and experience the obvious dip in brightness of this pair. Three nearby stars that do not vary in brightness (Xi Tauri - mag. 3.71, Gamma Tauri - mag. 3.62 and Mu Tauri - mag. 4.25) can be used as comparison stars to gauge the varying brightness of Lambda. <a href="images/ferant/taurus/lam_tau_chart.jpg" target="_blank">Click here to see the locator chart for these stars</a>.<br><br>An interesting Java Application that illustrates what is occuring can be found <a href="http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/astro101/java/eclipse/eclipse.htm" target="_blank">here</a>. See how the light curve changes as you vary the sizes and orbital elements of each star. The settings for Lambda Tauri would be: Angle = 24, Separation = 0, Star 1 = B and Star 2 = A.',
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