BY Draconis variable
With an estimated age of 1.2 billion years, HD 179949 is a chromospherically active star and has a complex magnetic field with a maximum strength of 10 G. Like the Sun, this star has differential rotation, with the equatorial region having a faster rotation period, of 7.62 ± 0.07 days, compared to a rotation period of 10.3 ± 0.8 days in the poles. The star's projected rotational velocity is 7.0 km/s, corresponding to an inclination angle of about 60°. HD 179949 has been classified as a BY Draconis variable, which varies in brightness due to rotational modulation of spots on the surface.