Epsilon Carinae

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Epsilon Carinae A/B
Diagram showing star positions and boundaries of the Carina constellation and its surroundings
Cercle rouge 100%.svg

Location of ε Carinae (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Carina
Right ascension 08h 22m 30.83526s[1]
Declination −59° 30′ 34.1431″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 1.86[2] (2.166/4.121)[3]
Characteristics
Spectral type K3 III[4] + B2 Vp[5]
U−B color index +0.19[2]
B−V color index +1.27[2]
Variable type Eclipsing (suspected)[6]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv) +11.6[7] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: –25.52[1] mas/yr
Dec.: 22.72[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π) 5.39 ± 0.42[1] mas
Distance 610 ± 50 ly
(190 ± 10 pc)
Details
ε Car A
Mass 9.0 ± 0.9[8] M☉
Temperature 3,523[9] K
Age 31.2 ± 10.1[8] Myr
ε Car B
Mass 7.30[9] M☉
Temperature 20,417[9] K
Other designations
Avior, CD−59°1032, FK5 315, HD 71129, HIP 41037, HR 3307, SAO 235932.[10]
Database references
SIMBAD data

Epsilon Carinae (ε Car, ε Carinae) is a star in the southern constellation of Carina. It is also known by the name Avior. At apparent magnitude +1.86 it is one of the brightest stars in the night sky, but is not visible from the northern hemisphere.

File:Avior.png
Illustration of the Avior system

Epsilon Carinae is a double star located roughly 560–660 light-years (170–200 parsecs) away from the Earth.[1] Measurements during the Hipparcos mission give the pair an angular separation of 0.46 arcseconds with a difference in magnitude of 2.0.[5] At their estimated distance, this angle is equivalent to a physical separation of around 4 Astronomical Units.[11] This pair may form an eclipsing binary system[11] with a period of 785 days (2.15 years), resulting in a magnitude change of 0.12 during each eclipse.[6][12]

The primary component has an apparent visual magnitude of 2.2,[3] which by itself would still make it the third brightest star in the constellation. It is an evolved giant star with a stellar classification of K0 III. However, examination of the ultraviolet flux from this star suggests it may instead be of spectral type K7.[5] The fainter secondary companion has an apparent visual magnitude of 4.1,[3] which, if it were a solitary star, would be bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. This is a hot, core hydrogen-fusing B-type main sequence star of spectral class B2 Vp.[5] The secondary may itself have an orbiting stellar companion of spectral class F8:.[9]

Etymology

The name Avior is not classical in origin. It was assigned to the star by HM Nautical Almanac Office in the late 1930s during the creation of The Air Almanac, a navigational almanac for the Royal Air Force. Of the fifty-seven navigation stars included in the new almanac, two had no classical names: Epsilon Carinae and Alpha Pavonis. The RAF insisted that all of the stars must have names, so new names were invented. Alpha Pavonis was named "Peacock", a translation of Pavo, whilst Epsilon Carinae was called "Avior".[13]

In Chinese, 海石 (Hǎi Dàn), meaning Sea Rock, refers to an asterism consisting of ε Carinae, ι Carinae, HD 83183, HD 84810 and υ Carinae .[14] Consequently, ε Carinae itself is known as 海石一 (Hǎi Dàn yī, English: the First Star of Sea Rock.)[15]

References

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  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.. See: VizieR V/50
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ (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.
  15. ↑ (Chinese) 香港太空館 - 研究資源 - 亮星中英對照表, Hong Kong Space Museum. Accessed on line November 23, 2010.
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