▁located ▁around ▁ 7 0 0   light ▁years ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁Sun . ▁At ▁that ▁distance , ▁the ▁visual ▁magnitude ▁of ▁the ▁star ▁is ▁dimin ished ▁by ▁an ▁ext inction ▁of ▁ ▁due ▁to ▁inter stell ar ▁dust . ▁It ▁has ▁the ▁variable ▁star ▁design ation ▁W ▁Bo öt is ; ▁ 3 4 ▁Bo öt is ▁is ▁the ▁Fl am ste ed ▁design ation . ▁This ▁object ▁is ▁visible ▁to ▁the ▁n aked ▁eye ▁as ▁a ▁faint , ▁red - h ued ▁star ▁with ▁a ▁bas eline ▁apparent ▁visual ▁magnitude ▁of ▁ 4 . 8 0 . ▁It ▁is ▁moving ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁Earth ▁with ▁a ▁hel i oc ent ric ▁radial ▁velocity ▁of ▁+ 5 . 6   km / s . ▁ ▁This ▁is ▁an ▁ag ing ▁red ▁giant ▁star ▁with ▁a ▁stell ar ▁classification ▁of ▁M 3 −   III , ▁which ▁indicates ▁it ▁has ▁exha usted ▁the ▁supply ▁of ▁hydro gen ▁at ▁its ▁core ▁and ▁evol ved ▁off ▁the ▁main ▁sequence ▁branch . ▁It ▁is ▁class ified ▁as ▁a ▁sem ire g ular ▁variable ▁with ▁a ▁bright ness ▁that ▁var ies ▁from ▁magnitude ▁+ 4 . 4 9 ▁down ▁to ▁+ 5 . 4 ▁with ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁ 2 5 ▁days , ▁with ▁some ▁evidence ▁of ▁longer ▁term ▁variation ▁and ▁mode ▁switching . ▁The ▁star ▁is ▁around ▁a ▁billion ▁years ▁old ▁with ▁ 2 . 2 ▁times ▁the ▁mass ▁of ▁the ▁Sun ▁and ▁has ▁expanded ▁to ▁ 1 2 9 ▁times ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁Sun