Subgiant star in the context of Luminosity class

Beta Crateris, Latinized from β Crateris, is a binary star system in the southern constellation of Crater. It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.46. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 9.59 mas as seen from Earth, it is around 340 light years from the Sun.

This is an astrometric binary star system with an orbital period of 6.0 years and a projected separation of 8.3 AU. The orbit has an estimated semimajor axis of 9.3 AU. The primary component A is listed as an A-type giant star with a stellar classification of A2 III. However, Houk and Smith-Moore (1988) give a main sequence classification of A1 V, while Abt and Morrell (1995) list it as a subgiant star with a class of A2 IV. The spectrum shows enhanced barium, possibly as a result of a previous mass transfer event.

HD 256 is a binary star system in the equatorial constellation of Cetus. It has a white hue and is dimly visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 6.20. Based upon parallax measurements, the system is located at a distance of approximately 474 light years from the Sun. It is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −10 km/s.

Originally considered a single star, it was reported to be a shell star in 1982. Circumstellar absorption lines were then found to be variable, showing a similarity to the edge-on debris disk surrounding Beta Pictoris. The stellar classification of A2 IV/V matched an A-type star near the end of its main sequence lifetime, showing traits of an emerging subgiant star phase.

Phi Leonis (φ Leo) is a single star in the equatorial-northern constellation Leo, located in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is bright enough to be seen with the naked eye, having an apparent visual magnitude of 4.46. Based upon parallax measurements, the distance to Phi Leo is around 184 light years.

The spectrum of this star fits a stellar classification of A7IVn, which suggests it is an A-type subgiant star that has left the main sequence and is evolving into a giant star. It is being viewed with the plane of the star's equator lying close the line of sight from the Earth, and shows a high rotation rate with a projected rotational velocity of 254 km/s. This rapid spin is giving the star an oblate shape with an equatorial bulge that is 29% larger than the polar radius.

HD 134060, also known by its Gould designation of 38 G. Circini, is a star in the southern constellation of Circinus. It is near the lower limit of stars visible to the naked eye, having an apparent visual magnitude of 6.29. The distance to HD 134060, as determined using an annual parallax shift measurement of 41.6 mas, is 78.4 light years. It is moving further away with a heliocentric radial velocity of 43.5 km/s, having come within 34.6 ly some 439,000 years ago.

During the NStars project, Grey et al. (2006) found a stellar classification of G0 V Fe+0.4 for this star, matching a Sun-like G-type main-sequence star with an overabundance of iron in its outer atmosphere. However, an older classification of G3 IV is still used, which would suggest it is instead a more evolved subgiant star. HD 134060 has an estimated 1.07 times the mass of the Sun and 1.15 times the Sun's radius. It is radiating 1.63 times the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of about 5,965 K.