Eta Sagittarii

η Sagittarii
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation Sagittarius
Right ascension 18h 17m 37.6s
Declination -36° 45' 42"
Apparent magnitude (V) +3.10
Absolute magnitude (V) -0.20
Distance 149 ± 6 ly
(46 ± 2 pc)
Spectral type M2III
Other designations
HR 6832, HD 167618, SAO 209957, HIP 89642, CCDM 18176-3646

Eta Sagittarii (η Sgr, η Sagittarii) is a star system in the constellation Sagittarius, 149 light years from Earth.

It was formerly known as "Beta Telescopii" (β Tel). The SkyMap site has the name "Sephdar" attributed to η Sgr, but the etymology of this name is not clear.

The primary component, η Sagittarii A, is a spectral type M3.5 red giant. It is a variable star with small magnitude fluctuations between +3.08 and 3.12, and is classified as an irregular variable.

The brightest companion, η Sagittarii B, is spectral class F dwarf star, with an apparent magnitude of +7.77. It is at a distance of 165 astronomical units from the primary and takes approximately 1 300 years to make one orbit. The two stars are separated by 3.6 arcseconds on the sky.

Farther out are two dimmer members of the system, the 13th magnitude η Sagittarii C, separated from A by 33 arcseconds, and the 10th magnitude η Sagittarii D, 93 arcseconds from A.

This star will be in constellation Corona Australis around 6300 AD.[1]

References

  1. ^ p. 296, Patrick Moore's Data Book of Astronomy, Patrick Moore and Robin Rees, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2011.