61 Cancri

61 Cancri is a multiple star system located approximately 44 light-years away in the constellation Cancer. It is composed of a binary star system, designated 61 Cancri AB, and a distant red dwarf companion, 61 Cancri C.

61 Cancri A, also known as 61 Cancri, is a G8V-type main-sequence star, similar to our Sun, but slightly cooler and less massive. It is the brighter component of the binary.

61 Cancri B is a K-type main-sequence star, significantly smaller, cooler, and less massive than 61 Cancri A. The two stars orbit each other with a period of approximately 790 years.

61 Cancri C is a red dwarf star, much fainter and smaller than the other two components. It orbits the 61 Cancri AB binary at a much greater distance, making its orbital period extremely long, estimated in the tens of thousands of years.

The system is of interest to astronomers due to its relative proximity to Earth and the presence of multiple stars. There is no definitive evidence of planets orbiting any of the stars in the 61 Cancri system, although radial velocity studies have suggested possible planetary companions around 61 Cancri A, but these have not been confirmed.