Alpha Telescopii

Alpha Telescopii
Diagram showing star positions and boundaries of the Telescopium constellation and its surroundings


Location of α Telescopii (circled)

Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Telescopium
Right ascension 18h 26m 58.41604s[1]
Declination –45° 58′ 06.4498″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 3.51[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type B3 IV[3]
U−B color index −0.64[2]
B−V color index −0.17[2]
Variable type SPB[4]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−0.2[5] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −16.95[1] mas/yr
Dec.: −53.09[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)11.74 ± 0.17[1] mas
Distance278 ± 4 ly
(85 ± 1 pc)
Details
Mass5.2 ± 0.4[4] M☉
Radius3.3 ± 0.5[4] R☉
Luminosity794[4] L☉
Surface gravity (log g)4.12 ± 0.20[4] cgs
Temperature16,700 ± 800[4] K
Rotational velocity (v sin i)14 ± 8[4] km/s
Age24.1 ± 7.5[6] Myr
Other designations
Alpha Tel, Alf Cet, CD−46 12379, FK5 691, HD 169467, HIP 90422, HR 6897, SAO 229023.[7]

Alpha Telescopii (α Tel, α Telescopii) is the brightest star in the constellation Telescopium, with an apparent visual magnitude of 3.5.[2] Ptolemy included it in constellation Corona Australis, but it was moved to Telescopium when that constellation was created by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the 18th century.[8] Parallax measurements put it at a distance of 278 light-years (85 parsecs) from Earth.

This star is much larger than the Sun, with about five times the mass and three times the radius.[4] The spectrum of the star matches a stellar classification of B3 IV,[3] where the luminosity class of 'IV' indicates this is a subgiant star that has nearly exhausted the supply of hydrogen at its core and is evolving away from the main sequence. Alpha Telescopii is a bright star that is radiating nearly 800 times the Sun's luminosity. This energy is being emitted from the star's outer envelope at an effective temperature of around 16,700 K,[4] giving it the characteristic blue-white hue of a B-type star.[9]

This is a type of variable star known as a slowly pulsating B star. It has a longitudinal magnetic field with a mean strength of –233 ± 43 G.[4] A projected stellar rotation velocity of about 14 km s−1 is considered low for a star of this type,[4] which may indicate it is being viewed from nearly pole-on.[10]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 van Leeuwen, F. (November 2007), "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction", Astronomy and Astrophysics 474 (2): 653–664, arXiv:0708.1752, Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 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. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Houk, Nancy (1978), Michigan catalogue of two-dimensional spectral types for the HD stars 2, Ann Arbor: Dept. of Astronomy, University of Michigan, Bibcode:1975mcts.book.....H
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 Hubrig, S. et al. (April 2009), "New magnetic field measurements of β Cephei stars and slowly pulsating B stars", Astronomische Nachrichten 330 (4): 317, arXiv:0902.1314, Bibcode:2009AN....330..317H, doi:10.1002/asna.200811187
  5. ↑ 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
  6. ↑ Tetzlaff, N.; Neuhäuser, R.; Hohle, M. M. (January 2011), "A catalogue of young runaway Hipparcos stars within 3 kpc from the Sun", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 410 (1): 190–200, arXiv:1007.4883, Bibcode:2011MNRAS.410..190T, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17434.x
  7. ↑ "alf Tel -- Star", SIMBAD (Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg), retrieved 2012-01-15
  8. ↑ Ridpath, Ian, "Corona Austalis, the Southern Crown", Ian Ridpath's Star Tales, retrieved 2012-01-15
  9. ↑ "The Colour of Stars", Australia Telescope, Outreach and Education (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), December 21, 2004, retrieved 2012-01-16
  10. ↑ Kaler, James B., "ALPHA TEL (Alpha Telescopii)", Stars (University of Illinois), retrieved 2012-01-15