Jean Manfroid and Gautier Mathys reported that 74 Aquarii is a variable star in 1985.[13] Based on that result it was given its variable star designation in 1987.[14]
Visual binary
74 Aquarii is a double star with the two components separated by about 0.1″.[15] The two components are referred to as A and B or AB and C in different publications.[7][8] The pair form a binary with a period of 9.5 years at a typical angular separation of 0.046″, but the orbit is highly eccentric.[7] In 2010, this component was at an angular separation of 0.069 arcseconds along a position angle of 285.9°. This is equivalent to a projected separation of 13.9±2.4 AU.[12]
Spectroscopic binary
The primary star of the visual pair is a double-lined spectroscopic binary, where the presence of both components is revealed from the Doppler shift of their spectral lines, meaning 74 Aquarii is a triple system. The spectroscopic binary was discovered and the orbit calculated by Richard J. Wolff of the University of Hawaii in 1974.[16] A refined orbit was calculated in 2004 by Italian astronomers Giovanni Catanzaro and Paolo Leto in 2004. The orbital period is 3.4 days and the orbit is nearly circular.[8]
^ abcdeSamus, N. N.; Durlevich, O. V.; et al. (2009), "VizieR Online Data Catalog: General Catalogue of Variable Stars (Samus+ 2007-2013)", VizieR On-line Data Catalog: B/GCVS. Originally Published in: 2009yCat....102025S, 1: B/gcvs, Bibcode:2009yCat....102025S.
^ abHouk, Nancy (1978), Michigan catalogue of two-dimensional spectral types for the HD stars, vol. 4, Ann Arbor: Dept. of Astronomy, University of Michigan, Bibcode:1988mcts.book.....H.
^ abcGutierrez-Moreno, Adelina; et al. (1966), "A System of photometric standards", Publications of the Department of Astronomy University of Chile, 1, Publicaciones Universidad de Chile, Department de Astronomy: 1–17, Bibcode:1966PDAUC...1....1G.
^Wolff, Richard J (1974), "Orbit of the Manganese Star HR 8704", Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 86 (510): 173–175, Bibcode:1974PASP...86..173W, doi:10.1086/129576.
^Skiff, B. A. (2014), "VizieR Online Data Catalog: Catalogue of Stellar Spectral Classifications (Skiff, 2009- )", VizieR On-line Data Catalog, Bibcode:2014yCat....1.2023S.
^"HI Aqr". The International Variable Star Index. AAVSO. Retrieved 5 December 2022.