The first photometric analysis and period investigation of the K-type W UMa type binary system V0842 Cep

V0842 Cep is a W UMa-type binary star that has been neglected since its discovery. We analysed the VRcIc light curves, obtained by the 1 m telescope at Weihai Observatory of Shandong University, using the Wilson-Devinney code. V0842 Cep was found to be a shallow contact binary system (f = 8.7%) with a mass ratio of 2.281. Because its orbital inclination is greater than 80°, the photometric results are reliable. A period study is included which reveals a continually decreasing orbital period ( dpdt = 1.50(±0.42)×10−7 d yr−1). This trend could be attributed to the angular momentum loss via stellar wind.