F Centauri

F Centauri
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation Centaurus
Right ascension 12h 18m 59.76635s[1]
Declination −55° 08′ 34.7346″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) +5.01[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type M1III[3]
B−V color index 1.600±0.008[2]
Variable type suspected[4]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−7.1±2.8[2] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: -79.258[1] mas/yr
Dec.: -15.215[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)7.3256 ± 0.1919 mas[1]
Distance450 ± 10 ly
(137 ± 4 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)−0.87[2]
Details
Radius47.9+3.9
−6.3
[1] R
Luminosity502±15[1] L
Temperature3,948+287
−151
[1] 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[5]
Database references
SIMBADdata

F Centauri is a suspected astrometric binary[6] 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.[2] 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.[2] O. J. Eggen flagged this star as a member of the Hyades Supercluster.[7]

The visible component is an aging red giant star on the asymptotic giant branch[8] with a stellar classification of M1III,[3] 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.[4] 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.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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.
  2. ^ a b c d e f 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.
  3. ^ a b 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.
  4. ^ a b 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.
  5. ^ "F Cen". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ 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.