| Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Right ascension | 12 18 59.76635 |
| Declination | −55° 08′ 34.7346″ |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +5.01 |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | M1III |
| B−V color index | 1.600±0.008 |
| Variable type | suspected |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | −7.1±2.8 km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: -79.258 mas/yr Dec.: -15.215 mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 7.3256 ± 0.1919 mas |
| Distance | 450 ± 10 ly (137 ± 4 pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | −0.87 |
| Details | |
| Radius | 47.9+3.9 −6.3 R☉ |
| Luminosity | 502±15 L☉ |
| Temperature | 3,948+287 −151 K |
| Other designations | |
| F Cen, NSV 5544, CPD−54°5113, FK5 2985, GC 16792, HD 107079, HIP 60059, HR 4682, SAO 239838, CCDM J12190-5509 | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
F Centauri is a suspected astrometric binary star system in the southern constellation of Centaurus. It has a reddish hue and is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude that fluctuates around +5.01. The system is located at a distance of approximately 450 light years from the Sun based on parallax, and it has an absolute magnitude of −0.87. O. J. Eggen flagged this star as a member of the Hyades Supercluster.
The visible component is an aging red giant star on the asymptotic giant branch with a stellar classification of M1III, indicating it has exhausted the supply of both hydrogen and helium at its core and is cooling and expanding. It is a suspected variable star of unknown type that has been measured ranging in brightness from visual magnitude 4.94 down to 5.07. At present it has 48 times the radius of the Sun. It is radiating 502 times the Sun's luminosity from its enlarged photosphere at an effective temperature of 3,948 K.
References
- ^ Brown, A. G. A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (August 2018). "Gaia Data Release 2: Summary of the contents and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 616. A1. arXiv:1804.09365. Bibcode:2018A&A...616A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201833051. Gaia DR2 record for this source at VizieR.
- ^ Anderson, E.; Francis, Ch. (2012), "XHIP: An extended hipparcos compilation", Astronomy Letters, 38 (5): 331, arXiv:1108.4971, Bibcode:2012AstL...38..331A, doi:10.1134/S1063773712050015, S2CID 119257644.
- ^ Houk, Nancy; Cowley, A. P. (1979), Michigan catalogue of two-dimensional spectral types for the HD stars, vol. 1, Ann Arbor, Michigan: Dept. of Astronomy, University of Michigan, Bibcode:1978mcts.book.....H.
- ^ Samus, N. N.; et al. (2017), "General Catalogue of Variable Stars", Astronomy Reports, 5.1, 61 (1): 80–88, Bibcode:2017ARep...61...80S, doi:10.1134/S1063772917010085, S2CID 125853869.
- "F Cen". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
- Eggleton, P. P.; Tokovinin, A. A. (September 2008), "A catalogue of multiplicity among bright stellar systems", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 389 (2): 869–879, arXiv:0806.2878, Bibcode:2008MNRAS.389..869E, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13596.x, S2CID 14878976.
- Eggen, O. J. (February 1983), "NGC 2423 and the red giants of the Hyades supercluster", Astronomical Journal, 88: 190-196, Bibcode:1983AJ.....88..190E, doi:10.1086/113305.
- Eggen, Olin J. (July 1992), "Asymptotic giant branch stars near the sun", Astronomical Journal, 104 (1): 275–313, Bibcode:1992AJ....104..275E, doi:10.1086/116239.
