Winnecke 4

Template: Infobox double star / Maintenance / single coordinate

Winnecke 4 (short: WNC 4) is a double star in the Great Bear, consisting of a 9.7 magnitude star and a star like the brightness of 10.1 mag. The resolved in a bright binoculars double star was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764, mistaken for a nebula and so was given the designation M40. The angular distance between two stars is about 50 arc seconds, the closest less bright in a position angle of 83 degrees relative to the lighter. The term Winnecke 4 results from the double star measurements of Winnecke.

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So far, all attempts have failed to determine the movement and distance data accurately; the distance is estimated to be 170 ± 70 pc. The gravitational coupling is questionable. It can therefore also be two independent, different far removed stars. Any period should last at least 232,000 years and the distance cheating at least 5,000 AU. However, such values ​​are extremely unlikely to be coupled.