Epsilon Centauri

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ε Centauri
Centaurus constellation map.svg
Red circle.svg

Location of δ Orionis (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Centaurus
Right ascension 13h 39m 53.25774s[1]
Declination −53° 27′ 59.0081″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) +2.30[2] (2.29 - 2.31[3])
Characteristics
Spectral type B1 III[4]
U−B color index −0.92[2]
B−V color index −0.22[2]
Variable type β Cep[3]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv) +3.0[5] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −15.30[1] mas/yr
Dec.: −11.72[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π) 7.63 ± 0.48[1] mas
Distance 430 ± 30 ly
(131 ± 8 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV) –3.9[6]
Details
Mass 11.60 ± 1.06[4] M☉
Luminosity 15,217[4] L☉
Surface gravity (log g) 3.68[6] cgs
Temperature 24,000[4] K
Metallicity [Fe/H] –0.14 ± 0.10[7] dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i) 160[8] km/s
Age 15.8 ± 5.7[9] Myr
Other designations
CP−52 6655, FK5 504, HD 118716, HIP 66657, HR 5132, SAO 241047.
Database references
SIMBAD data

Epsilon Centauri (ε Cen, ε Centauri) is a star in the southern constellation of Centaurus. It is one of the brightest stars in the constellation with a slightly variable apparent visual magnitude of +2.30. Parallax measurements put it at a distance of around 430 light-years (130 parsecs) from Earth.

In Chinese, 南門 (Nán Mén), meaning Southern Gate, refers to an asterism consisting of ε Centauri and α Centauri.[10] Consequently, ε Centauri itself is known as 南門一 (Nán Mén yī, English: the First Star of Southern Gate.)[11]

ε Centauri is a massive star with nearly 12 times the mass of the Sun.[4] The spectrum matches a stellar classification of B1 III,[4] indicating this is an evolved giant star. It is radiating more than 15,000[4] times the luminosity of the Sun from its outer atmosphere at an effective temperature of 24,000 K,[4] giving it the blue-white hue of a B-type star.[12] This is classified as a Beta Cephei type variable star with a primary period of 0.16961 days (4 hours 4 minutes), completing 5.9 cycles per day.[7] During each cycle, the brightness of the star varies from apparent magnitude +2.29 to +2.31.

This star is a proper motion member of the Lower-Centaurus Crux sub-group in the Scorpius-Centaurus OB association, the nearest such association of co-moving massive stars to the Sun.[6] Epsilon Centauri is a relatively young star, with an age of around 16 million years.[9]

References

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  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ (Chinese) 中國星座神話, written by 陳久金. Published by 台灣書房出版有限公司, 2005, ISBN 978-986-7332-25-7.
  11. ↑ (Chinese) AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 7 月 25 日
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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