Gamma Andromedae
Gamma Andromedae, Latinized from γ Andromedae, is the third-brightest point of light in the northern constellation of Andromeda. It is a multiple star system approximately 350 light-years from Earth. The system is drifting closer to the Sun with a radial velocity in the range of −12 to −14 km/s. Observation. In 1778, German physicist Johann Tobias Mayer discovered that γ Andromedae is a double star. When examined in a small telescope, it appears to be a bright, golden-yellow star next to a dimmer, indigo-blue star, separated by approximately 10 arcseconds. The pair is  often considered by stargazers to be a beautiful double star with a striking contrast of color. The brighter member, γ Andromedae, is the primary of the system, and is thus designated component γ Andromedae A. It has the official proper name Almach , which was used as the traditional name of the naked eye star, and thus the system as a whole. The fainter secondary is γ Andromedae or γ Andromedae B. It was later discovered that γ Andromedae is itself a triple star system. What appears as a single star to the naked eye is thus a quadruple star system . Nomenclature. "γ Andromedae" (Latinised to "Gamma Andromedae") is the system's Bayer designation; "γ" and "γ Andromedae" those of its two constituents. The designations of those constituents as "Gamma Andromedae A" and "B" derive from the convention used by the Washington Multiplicity Catalog (WMC) for multiple star systems, and adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). In 2016, the IAU organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN approved the name "Almach" for the component Gamma Andromedae A on 20 July 2016 and it is now so included in the  List of IAU-approved Star Names. "Almach" was the traditional name (also spelt as "Almaach", "Almaack", "Almak", "Almaak", or "Alamak"), derived from the Arabic العناق ("al-‘anāq"), "the caracal" (desert lynx). Another term for this star used by medieval astronomers writing in Arabic was رجل المسلسلة ("Rijl al Musalsalah"), "Foot of The [Chained] Woman". In the catalogue of stars in the "Calendarium" of Al Achsasi al Mouakket, this star was designated الخامس النعامة ("Al Khamis al Na'amah"), which was translated into Latin as Quinta Struthionum, meaning "the fifth ostrich". In Chinese, (), meaning "Heaven's Great General", refers to an asterism consisting  of γ Andromedae, φ Persei, 51 Andromedae, 49 Andromedae, χ Andromedae, υ Andromedae, τ Andromedae, 56 Andromedae, β Trianguli, γ Trianguli and δ Trianguli. Consequently, the Chinese name for γ Andromedae itself is (, ). In the Babylonian star catalogues, γ Andromedae, together with Triangulum, formed the constellation known as APIN () "The Plough". Astrologically, this star was considered "honourable and eminent". Stellar properties. γ Andromedae (A component) is a massive bright giant star with a spectral classification of K2+IIb, and is presently at an evolutionary stage following the asymptotic giant branch. It does not display a chemical enhancement of s-process elements . The star has an apparent visual magnitude of approximately 2.26. It has an estimated 24 times the mass of the Sun with an age of 6.5 million years. γ Andromedae (BC component), with an overall apparent visual magnitude of 4.84, is 9.6 arcseconds away from γ Andromedae at a position angle of 63 degrees. γ and γ have an orbital period of approximately 5,000 years. In October 1842, Wilhelm Struve found that γ Andromedae was itself a double star whose components were separated by less than an arcsecond. The components are an object of apparent visual magnitude 5.5, γ Andromedae  B, and an A-type main-sequence star with apparent visual magnitude 6.3, γ Andromedae C. They have an orbital period of about 64 years and a high eccentricity (ovalness) of 0.927. Spectrograms taken from 1957 to 1959 revealed that γ Andromedae B was itself a spectroscopic binary, composed of two B-type main-sequence stars orbiting each other with a period of 2.67 days. The two orbits may be coplanar. At present the angular distance between both stars is 0.16 arcsecond . Almach as a name. was the name of United States navy ship.