2002AJ....124.2883R

Contemporaneous near-infrared (0.8-2.5 µm) and infrared (3-14 µm) spectroscopy is presented of the previously uncharacterized IRAS source 07077+1536. The data show it to be a carbon star embedded in a circumstellar dust envelope. The near-infrared spectrum displays molecular absorption features of C₂, CN, and CO, while the 11 µm emission feature from SiC is present in the thermal infrared. The spectral energy distribution of IRAS 07077+1536 is similar to the so-called extreme carbon stars in that it consists primarily of a reddened stellar photosphere and thermal dust emission. However, the extinction is much less and the dust significantly warmer (∼900 K vs. ∼300 K) than in extreme carbon stars such as AFGL 3068. IRAS 07077+1536 is also unusually bright shortward of 0.5 µm, an aspect that could be due to variability but may indicate the presence of a binary companion or a foreground star.