Pi Ceti
Location of Pi Ceti (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation Cetus
Right ascension 02h 44m 07.34928s[1]
Declination −13° 51′ 31.3130″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 4.238[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type B7 V[3] or B7 IV[4]
U−B color index −0.396[2]
B−V color index −0.130[2]
Astrometry
Proper motion (μ) RA: −8.62[1] mas/yr
Dec.: −9.07[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)8.30 ± 0.21 mas[1]
Distance393 ± 10 ly
(120 ± 3 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)−1.16[5]
Orbit[6]
Period (P)2,722±14 d
Eccentricity (e)0.0±0.7
Periastron epoch (T)2444852 ± 29 JD
Argument of periastron (ω)
(secondary)		0.0°
Semi-amplitude (K1)
(primary)		4.33±0.25 km/s
Details[7]
π Cet A
Mass4.4±0.2 M☉
Radius4.3±0.3 R☉
Luminosity468 L☉
Surface gravity (log g)3.8±0.2 cgs
Temperature12,900±400 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]0.28±0.16[8] dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)20.9±1.2 km/s
Age0.3+0.1
−0.1 Myr
Other designations
π Cet, 89 Ceti, BD−14 519, FK5 97, HD 17081, HIP 12770, HR 811, SAO 148575.[9]
Database references
SIMBADdata

Pi Ceti, Latinized from π Ceti, is the Bayer designation for a star system in the equatorial constellation of Cetus. It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.238.[2] Observed to have an Earth half yearly parallax shift of 8.30 mas,[1] it is around 393 light years from the Sun.

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.[6]

The primary, component A, is a normal B-type star[7] that has been given stellar classifications of B7 V[3] and B7 IV.[4] 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.[7]

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).[10] 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.[11]

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.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f van Leeuwen, F. (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, S2CID 18759600.
  2. ^ a b c d Gutierrez-Moreno, Adelina; et al. (1966), "A System of photometric standards", Publications of the Department of Astronomy University of Chile, 1, Publicaciones Universidad de Chile, Department de Astronomy: 1–17, Bibcode:1966PDAUC...1....1G.
  3. ^ a b Buscombe, W. (1962), "Spectral classification of Southern fundamental stars", Mount Stromlo Observatory Mimeogram, 4: 1, Bibcode:1962MtSOM...4....1B.
  4. ^ a b Hohle, M. M.; et al. (April 2010), "Masses and luminosities of O- and B-type stars and red supergiants", Astronomische Nachrichten, 331 (4): 349, arXiv:1003.2335, Bibcode:2010AN....331..349H, doi:10.1002/asna.200911355, S2CID 111387483.
  5. ^ Anderson, E.; Francis, Ch. (2012), "XHIP: An extended hipparcos compilation", Astronomy Letters, 38 (5): 331, arXiv:1108.4971, Bibcode:2012AstL...38..331A, doi:10.1134/S1063773712050015, S2CID 119257644.
  6. ^ a b Lacy, C. H. S.; et al. (March 1997), "The Spectroscopic Orbit of Pi Ceti", Astronomical Journal, 113: 1088, Bibcode:1997AJ....113.1088L, doi:10.1086/118325.
  7. ^ a b c 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, arXiv:1202.1845, Bibcode:2012MNRAS.422.2072F, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.20718.x, S2CID 119100447.
  8. ^ Prugniel, Ph.; Vauglin, I.; Koleva, M. (July 2011), "The atmospheric parameters and spectral interpolator for the MILES stars", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 531: A165, arXiv:1104.4952, Bibcode:2011A&A...531A.165P, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201116769, S2CID 54940439.
  9. ^ "pi. Cet -- Spectroscopic binary", SIMBAD Astronomical Database, Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg, retrieved 2017-02-08.
  10. ^ Allen, R. H. (1963). Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning (Reprint ed.). New York: Dover Publications Inc. p. 162. ISBN 0-486-21079-0. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
  11. ^ Jack W. Rhoads - Technical Memorandum 33-507-A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology; November 15, 1971
  12. ^ (in Chinese) AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 7 月 12 日
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