Location of ρ Centauri (circled) | |
| Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Right ascension | 12 11 39.12805 |
| Declination | −52° 22′ 06.4067″ |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +3.97 |
| Characteristics | |
| Evolutionary stage | main sequence |
| Spectral type | B3 V |
| U−B color index | −0.650 |
| B−V color index | −0.156±0.008 |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | +15.0±4.1 km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: −43.741 mas/yr Dec.: −11.771 mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 11.8348 ± 0.3746 mas |
| Distance | 276 ± 9 ly (84 ± 3 pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | −1.33 |
| Details | |
| Mass | 6.6±0.1 M☉ |
| Radius | 3.8 R☉ |
| Luminosity | 810.42 L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 3.95 cgs |
| Temperature | 19,500 K |
| Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 147 km/s |
| Age | 23.7±1.4 Myr |
| Other designations | |
| Rho Cen, ρ Cen, CD−51°6455, HD 105937, HIP 59449, HR 4638, SAO 239737 | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
Rho Centauri, Latinized from ρ Centauri, is a binary star system in the southern constellation of Centaurus. It is visible to the naked eye as a blue-white hued point of light with a combined apparent visual magnitude of +3.97. The system is located approximately 276 light years from the Sun based on parallax, and is drifting further away with a radial velocity of around +15 km/s. It 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.
The primary component of this system is a B-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of B3 V. It is about 24 million years old with a high rate of spin, showing a projected rotational velocity of 147 km/s. It has 6.6 times the mass of the Sun and 3.8 times the Sun's radius. The star is radiating 810 times the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 19,500 K.
The secondary companion is 1.1 magnitudes fainter than the primary, with a projected separation of 5.68 AU along a position angle of 19.72°, as of 2013.
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.
- ^ de Geus, E. J.; et al. (June 1989), "Physical parameters of stars in the Scorpio-Centaurus OB association", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 216 (1–2): 44–61, Bibcode:1989A&A...216...44D
- Gutierrez-Moreno, Adelina; Moreno, Hugo (June 1968), "A photometric investigation of the Scorpio-Centaurus association", Astrophysical Journal Supplement, 15: 459, Bibcode:1968ApJS...15..459G, doi:10.1086/190168.
- ^ Gontcharov, G. A. (November 2006), "Pulkovo Compilation of Radial Velocities for 35495 Hipparcos stars in a common system", Astronomy Letters, 32 (11): 759–771, arXiv:1606.08053, Bibcode:2006AstL...32..759G, doi:10.1134/S1063773706110065, S2CID 119231169.
- ^ Tetzlaff, N.; et al. (January 2011), "A catalogue of young runaway Hipparcos stars within 3 kpc from the Sun", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 410 (1): 190–200, arXiv:1007.4883, Bibcode:2011MNRAS.410..190T, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17434.x, S2CID 118629873
- ^ Pasinetti Fracassini, L. E.; et al. (February 2001), "Catalogue of Apparent Diameters and Absolute Radii of Stars (CADARS) - Third edition - Comments and statistics", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 367 (2): 521–524, arXiv:astro-ph/0012289, Bibcode:2001A&A...367..521P, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20000451, S2CID 425754.
- ^ Levenhagen, R. S.; Leister, N. V. (2006), "Spectroscopic analysis of southern B and Be stars", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 371 (1): 252–262, arXiv:astro-ph/0606149, Bibcode:2006MNRAS.371..252L, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.10655.x, S2CID 16492030.
- ^ Uesugi, Akira; Fukuda, Ichiro (1970), "Catalogue of rotational velocities of the stars", Contributions from the Institute of Astrophysics and Kwasan Observatory, University of Kyoto, Bibcode:1970crvs.book.....U.
- "rho Cen -- Star", SIMBAD Astronomical Database, Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg, retrieved 2016-12-25.
- ^ Rizzuto, A. C.; et al. (December 2013), "Long-baseline interferometric multiplicity survey of the Sco-Cen OB association", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 436 (2): 1694–1707, arXiv:1309.3811, Bibcode:2013MNRAS.436.1694R, doi:10.1093/mnras/stt1690.
