U0132

U0132 is a catalog identifier assigned to a faint ultraviolet source detected during the early phases of the Ultraviolet Sky Survey (USS) conducted by the European Space Agency in 1998. The object is located in the constellation of Taurus at right ascension 04ʰ 31ᵐ 15.2ˢ and declination +23° 12′ 07″ (J2000 epoch). Initial photometric measurements indicated a magnitude of 19.8 in the far‑ultraviolet band, with a notably blue spectral energy distribution compared with surrounding field stars.

Follow‑up spectroscopy performed with the Hubble Space Telescope in 2002 revealed broad emission lines consistent with a hot, compact object. The prevailing interpretation is that U0132 is a low‑mass X‑ray binary (LMXB) comprising a neutron star accreting material from a late‑type companion star. The system exhibits intermittent X‑ray outbursts, recorded by the Chandra X‑ray Observatory in 2005 and 2011, supporting the accretion‑driven variability model.

U0132 has been cited in several studies of binary evolution and neutron‑star cooling, serving as a benchmark for theoretical models of mass transfer and angular momentum loss in short‑period binaries. Its relatively low luminosity and isolated position in the galactic halo make it a valuable probe of interstellar extinction at ultraviolet wavelengths. Ongoing monitoring with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory aims to refine its orbital period, currently estimated at 3.8 hours, and to assess long‑term changes in its accretion rate.