Sigma Piscium

Sigma Piscium
Diagram showing star positions and boundaries of the Pisces constellation and its surroundings


Location of σ Piscium (circled)

Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation Pisces
Right ascension 01h 02m 49.09s
Declination +31° 48' 15.6"
Apparent magnitude (V) +5.50
Distance414 ly
(127 pc)
Spectral typeG8III
Other designations
σ Piscium, σ Psc, Sigma Psc, 69 Piscium, BD+31°168, HD 6118, HIP 4889, HR 291, PPM 65899, SAO 54374.

Sigma Piscium (Sigma Psc, σ Piscium, σ Psc) is a yellow G-type giant with an apparent magnitude of +5.50. It is approximately 414 light years from Earth. It is also a double lined spectroscopic binary system with a orbital period of 81 days.[1]

Sigma Piscium is moving through the Galaxy at a speed of 23.5 km/s relative to the Sun. Its projected Galactic orbit carries it between 24,300 and 29,400 light years from the center of the Galaxy.[2]

Naming

In Chinese, 奎宿 (Kuí Sù), meaning Legs (asterism), refers to an asterism consisting of refers to an asterism consisting of σ Piscium, η Andromedae, 65 Piscium, ζ Andromedae, ε Andromedae, δ Andromedae, π Andromedae, ν Andromedae, μ Andromedae, β Andromedae, τ Piscium, 91 Piscium, υ Piscium, φ Piscium, χ Piscium and ψ1 Piscium. Consequently, σ Piscium itself is known as 奎宿十 (Kuí Sù shí, English: the Tenth Star of Legs.)[3]

References

  1. ↑ Konacki, Maciej; Lane, Benjamin F. (2004). "The Visual Orbits of the Spectroscopic Binaries HD 6118 and HD 27483 from the Palomar Testbed Interferometer". The Astrophysical Journal 610 (1): 443–455. arXiv:astro-ph/0310729. Bibcode:2004ApJ...610..443K. doi:10.1086/421037.
  2. ↑ Sigma Piscium (HIP 4889)
  3. ↑ (Chinese) AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 5 月 19 日