Zeta Ursae Minoris

ζ Ursae Minoris
Location of ζ Ursae Minoris (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Ursa Minor
Right ascension 15h 44m 03.5193s[1]
Declination +77° 47′ 40.175″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) +4.32[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type A3Vn[3]
U−B color index +0.05[2]
B−V color index +0.04[2]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)–13.1[4] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: 20.07[1] mas/yr
Dec.: –2.50[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)8.68 ± 0.47[1] mas
Distance380 ± 20 ly
(115 ± 6 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)−0.98[5]
Details
Luminosity227[5] L☉
Other designations
16 Ursae Minoris, HR 5903, HD 142105, BD+78 527, FK5 590, HIP 77055, SAO 8328, GC 21243.[6]
Database references
SIMBADdata

Zeta Ursae Minoris (ζ UMi, ζ Ursae Minoris) is a star in the constellation Ursa Minor.

It has been called Akhfa al Farkadain, from the Arabic أخفى الفرقدين aḫfa al-farqadayn, meaning "the dimmer of the two calves". It is then paired with η Ursae Minoris as Anwar al Farkadain, "the brighter of the two calves". The names may originally refer to a pair of Ibexes, and are more properly applied to γ UMi and β UMi respectively, the brighter two stars in the rectangle of Ursa Minor.[7]

Zeta Ursae Minoris is a white stellar class A-type main sequence star with an apparent magnitude of +4.28.[8] It is approximately 380 light years from Earth.

Despite its classification as a main sequence dwarf star, Zeta UMi is 3.4 times the mass of the sun and its luminosity is about 200 solar luminosities. At a surface temperature of 8,700 kelvins, this star is actually on the verge of becoming a giant star. Zeta UMi may also be a variable of the Delta Scuti type.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Perryman, M. A. C.; et al. (1997), "The Hipparcos Catalogue", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 323: L49–L52, Bibcode:1997A&A...323L..49P
  2. 1 2 3 Johnson, H. L.; et al. (1966). "UBVRIJKL photometry of the bright stars". Communications of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. 4 (99). Bibcode:1966CoLPL...4...99J.
  3. ↑ Cowley, A.; Cowley, C.; Jaschek, M.; Jaschek, C. (April 1969). "A study of the bright A stars. I. A catalogue of spectral classifications". Astronomical Journal. 74: 375–406. Bibcode:1969AJ.....74..375C. doi:10.1086/110819.
  4. ↑ Evans, D. S. (June 20–24, 1966). "The Revision of the General Catalogue of Radial Velocities". In Batten, Alan Henry; Heard, John Frederick. Determination of Radial Velocities and their Applications, Proceedings from IAU Symposium no. 30. University of Toronto: International Astronomical Union. Bibcode:1967IAUS...30...57E. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  5. 1 2 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.
  6. ↑ "NSV 7263 – Variable Star". SIMBAD. Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
  7. ↑ Richard Hinckley Allen (1899). Star-names and Their Meanings. G.E. Stechert. pp. 447–460.
  8. ↑ "Zeta Ursae Minoris - Variable Star". SIMBAD Astronomical Database. Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  9. ↑ Kaler, James B. "Alifa al Farkadain". Stars. University of Illinois. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.