Astronomy:63 Ophiuchi

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Short description: Star in the constellation Sagittarius
63 Ophiuchi
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0   Equinox (celestial coordinates)
Constellation Sagittarius[1]
Right ascension  17h 54m 54.04315s[2]
Declination −24° 53′ 13.5444″[2]
Apparent magnitude (V) 6.20[3]
Characteristics
U−B color index –0.89[4]
B−V color index +0.04[4]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)–11[5] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: +0.704[2] mas/yr
Dec.: –2.194[2] mas/yr
Parallax (π)0.9071 ± 0.0882[2] mas
Distance3,600 ± 300 ly
(1,100 ± 100 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)−5.14±0.22[6]
Details
Mass17±4[6] M
29[7] M
Radius12.0±1.2[6] R
Luminosity11,500+820
−770
[6] L
Surface gravity (log g)3.51±0.03[6] cgs
Temperature35,000±300[6] K
Rotational velocity (v sin i)48±5[6] km/s
Age3.7[6] Myr
Other designations
63 Oph, CD−24°13615, HD 162978, HIP 87706, HR 6672, SAO 185928
Database references
SIMBADdata

63 Ophiuchi is an O-type giant star in the constellation Sagittarius, despite its name. During a 2009 survey for companions of massive stars, it was observed using speckle interferometry but no companion was found.[8] The small parallax measurement of 0.91±0.09 mas suggest that this extremely luminous star may be located about 3,600 light-years away. An estimate of the distance based on the strength of the Ca II line yields a more modest value of 2,605 ly (799 pc).[9] The star lies only 0.3° north of the galactic plane.

In 1983, astronomers from the Sternberg Astronomical Institute in Moscow, Russia identified a faint, shell-shaped nebula surrounding the star that was being excited by the star's energy. Named Sharpless 22, this ring-shaped nebula has a double-shell structure with an inner envelope spanning 45–50 (9–18 pc), surrounded by a diffuse envelope some 65–80′ (14–29 pc) across. At an estimated mass loss rate of (6–8) × 10−6 M/yr, it would take the star about (1–5) × 105 years to produce such a nebula from the outflow of its stellar wind.[10]

In 2025 the star was found to have a weak magnetic field, which is unusual for giant stars. It is considered an example of an transitional object between main sequence strongly magnetic stars and magnetic supergiants like Alnitak.[6]

References

  1. Roman, Nancy G. (1987). "Identification of a constellation from a position". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 99 (617): 695. doi:10.1086/132034. Bibcode1987PASP...99..695R  Constellation record for this object at VizieR.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Brown, A. G. A. (August 2018). "Gaia Data Release 2: Summary of the contents and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics 616: A1. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201833051. Bibcode2018A&A...616A...1G.  Gaia DR2 record for this source at VizieR.
  3. Ducati, J. R. (2002). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: Catalogue of Stellar Photometry in Johnson's 11-color system". CDS/ADC Collection of Electronic Catalogues 2237. Bibcode2002yCat.2237....0D. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 Schild, R. E. et al. (April 1983), "UBV photometry for southern OB stars", Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 51: 321–336, doi:10.1086/190852, Bibcode1983ApJS...51..321S 
  5. Wilson, Ralph Elmer (1953), "General catalogue of stellar radial velocities", Washington (Carnegie Institution of Washington), Bibcode1953GCRV..C......0W 
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 Barron, James A.; Wade, Gregg A.; Holgado, Gonzalo; Simón-Díaz, Sergio (2025-05-16), "A magnetic field detection in the massive O-type bright giant 63 Oph", The Astrophysical Journal 991 (1): 79, doi:10.3847/1538-4357/adf6d9, Bibcode2025ApJ...991...79B 
  7. Blex, Susanne; Haas, Martin; Chini, Rolf (2024). "The rotation rate of single- and double-lined southern O stars: Determining what increases the rotation rate in binaries". Astronomy and Astrophysics 692. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202450176. Bibcode2024A&A...692A.192B. 
  8. Mason, Brian D. et al. (February 2009), "The High Angular Resolution Multiplicity of Massive Stars", The Astronomical Journal 137 (2): 3358–3377, doi:10.1088/0004-6256/137/2/3358, Bibcode2009AJ....137.3358M 
  9. Megier, A. et al. (November 2009), "The interstellar Ca II distance scale", Astronomy and Astrophysics 507 (2): 833–840, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/20079144, Bibcode2009A&A...507..833M 
  10. Lozinskaya, T. A. et al. (June 1983), "A New Search for Ring Nebulae around Of-Stars - SHARPLESS22", Soviet Astronomy Letters 9 (6): 344–345, Bibcode1983SvAL....9..344L