Astronomy:Pi Ceti
| Observation data Equinox J2000.0]] (ICRS) | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus[1] |
| Right ascension | 02h 44m 07.348s[2] |
| Declination | −13° 51′ 31.28″[2] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 4.238[3] |
| Characteristics | |
| Evolutionary stage | main sequence[4] |
| Spectral type | B7 V[5] or B7 IV[6] |
| U−B color index | −0.396[3] |
| B−V color index | −0.130[3] |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | 14.98±0.25[7] km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: −8.394[2] mas/yr Dec.: −23.592[2] mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 8.4022 ± 0.1945[2] mas |
| Distance | 388 ± 9 ly (119 ± 3 pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | −1.16[1] |
| Orbit[8] | |
| Period (P) | 2,722±14 d |
| Eccentricity (e) | 0.00±0.07 |
| Periastron epoch (T) | 2444852±29 JD |
| Argument of periastron (ω) (secondary) | 0.0° |
| Semi-amplitude (K1) (primary) | 4.33±0.25 km/s |
| Details[9] | |
| π Cet A | |
| Mass | 4.4±0.2 M☉ |
| Radius | 4.3±0.3 R☉ |
| Luminosity | 468 L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 3.8±0.2 cgs |
| Temperature | 12,900±400 K |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.28±0.16[10] dex |
| Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 20.9±1.2 km/s |
| Age | 0.3+0.1 −0.1 Myr |
| Other designations | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
Pi Ceti a binary star system in the equatorial constellation of Cetus. Its name is a Bayer designation that is Latinized from π Ceti, and abbreviated Pi Cet or π Cet. The system is located near the eastern boundary of the constellation and is sometimes portrayed as forming part of the Eridanus constellation's asterism.[12] It is visible to the naked eye as a point of light with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.238.[3] Observed to have a half yearly parallax shift of 8.30 mas as seen from Earth,[2] it is located at a distance of approximately 393 light years from the Sun. The system is drifting further away from the Sun with a line of sight velocity component of +15 km/s.[7]
This is a single-lined spectroscopic binary system with a nearly circular orbit and a period of 7.45 years. The fact that the system has a negligible eccentricity is surprising for such a long period, and may suggest that the secondary is a white dwarf that had its orbit circularized during a mass-transfer event.[8]
The primary, component A, is a normal B-type star[9] that has been given stellar classifications of B7 V[5] and B7 IV.[6] It appears very young – less than half a million years in age – and may still be on a pre-main sequence track. The star shows no magnetic field but it does emit an infrared excess.[9]
Name
This star, along with ε Cet, ρ Cet and σ Cet, was Al Sufi's Al Sadr al Ḳaiṭos, the Whale's breast/chest (upper torso).[13] Per Jack Rhoads's Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars, Al Sufi's numerically ordered stars (1 to 4), were ρ (rho), σ (sigma), ε (epsilon) and this star.[14]
In Chinese, 天苑 (Tiān Yuàn), meaning Celestial Meadows, refers to an asterism consisting of π Ceti, and 15 stars in Eridanus: γ, π, δ, ε, ζ, η, and the string of τ (Tau)1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Consequently, the Chinese name for the star is 天苑七 (Tiān Yuàn qī) meaning Celestial Meadows: seven.[15]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Anderson, E.; Francis, Ch. (2012). "XHIP: An extended hipparcos compilation". Astronomy Letters 38 (5): 331. doi:10.1134/S1063773712050015. Bibcode: 2012AstL...38..331A XHIP record for this object at VizieR.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Vallenari, A. et al. (2022). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940. Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Gutierrez-Moreno, Adelina et al. (1966), "A System of photometric standards", Publications of the Department of Astronomy University of Chile (Publicaciones Universidad de Chile, Department de Astronomy) 1: 1–17, Bibcode: 1966PDAUC...1....1G.
- ↑ Zorec, J.; Royer, F. (2012), "Rotational velocities of A-type stars. IV. Evolution of rotational velocities", Astronomy and Astrophysics 537: A120, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201117691, Bibcode: 2012A&A...537A.120Z.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Buscombe, W. (1962), "Spectral classification of Southern fundamental stars", Mount Stromlo Observatory Mimeogram 4: 1, Bibcode: 1962MtSOM...4....1B.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Hohle, M. M. et al. (April 2010), "Masses and luminosities of O- and B-type stars and red supergiants", Astronomische Nachrichten 331 (4): 349, doi:10.1002/asna.200911355, Bibcode: 2010AN....331..349H.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Pourbaix, D. et al. (2004). "SB9: The ninth catalogue of spectroscopic binary orbits". Astronomy and Astrophysics 424 (2): 727–732. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20041213. Bibcode: 2004A&A...424..727P.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lacy, C. H. S. et al. (March 1997), "The Spectroscopic Orbit of Pi Ceti", Astronomical Journal 113: 1088, doi:10.1086/118325, Bibcode: 1997AJ....113.1088L.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Folsom, C. P. et al. (May 2012), "Chemical abundances of magnetic and non-magnetic Herbig Ae/Be stars", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 422 (3): 2072–2101, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.20718.x, Bibcode: 2012MNRAS.422.2072F.
- ↑ Prugniel, Ph. et al. (July 2011), "The atmospheric parameters and spectral interpolator for the MILES stars", Astronomy & Astrophysics 531: A165, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201116769, Bibcode: 2011A&A...531A.165P.
- ↑ "pi. Cet". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=pi.+Cet.
- ↑ Lovi, George (1957), Mayall, R. Newton, ed., "Two misplaced stars", AAVSO Abstracts: papers presented at the 46th Spring meeting, May 31 – June 2, 1957: p. 4, https://books.google.com/books?id=_QsVAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA8-IA1.
- ↑ Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning (Reprint ed.), New York: Dover Publications Inc., 1963, p. 162, ISBN ((0-486-21079-0)), https://archive.org/details/starnamestheirlo00alle/page/162, retrieved 2010-12-12.
- ↑ Rhoads, Jack W. (November 15, 1971), Technical Memorandum 33-507-A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19720005197, retrieved 2026-03-06.
- ↑ Script error: The function "in_lang" does not exist. AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 7 月 12 日
