Sigma Sagittarii
 Location of σ Sagittarii (circled) |
|
| Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 |
|
|---|---|
| Constellation | Sagittarius |
| Right ascension | 18h 55m 15.92650s[1] |
| Declination | –26° 17′ 48.2068″[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 2.05[2] |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | B2.5 V[3] |
| U−B color index | –0.761[4] |
| B−V color index | –0.204[4] |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | –11.2[2] km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: +15.14[1] mas/yr Dec.: –53.43[1] mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 14.32 ± 0.29[1] mas |
| Distance | 228 ± 5 ly (70 ± 1 pc) |
| Details | |
| Mass | 7.8 ± 0.2[5] M☉ |
| Radius | 4.5[6] R☉ |
| Luminosity | 3,300[7] L☉ |
| Temperature | 18,890[7] K |
| Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 165[8] km/s |
| Age | 31.4 ± 0.4[5] Myr |
| Other designations | |
Sigma Sagittarii (σ Sgr, σ Sagittarii) is the second brightest star system in the constellation Sagittarius. Its modern name Nunki is an Assyrian or Babylonian name recovered by archaeologists and made public by R. H. Allen.[9] Nunki has an apparent magnitude of +2.05,[2] making it readily visible to the naked eye. The distance to this star can be determined using parallax measurements, which yield an estimated value of 228 light-years (70 parsecs) from Earth.[1]
Nunki has a spectrum matching a stellar classification of B2.5 V,[3] which indicates this is a B-type main sequence star. The total luminosity of σ Sgr is 3300[10] times that of the Sun while it has a surface temperature of 18,890 K.[7] X-ray emission has been detected from this star, which has an estimated X-ray luminosity of 1.2 × 1028 erg s–1.[11] Sigma Sgr has a magnitude +9.5 optical companion located 5.2 arcminutes away.[citation needed]
Because it is close to the ecliptic, Nunki can be occulted by the Moon and very rarely by planets. The last occultation of Nunki by a planet took place on November 17, 1981, when it was occulted by Venus. Furthermore, Nunki is the brightest star that can be principally occulted by an exterior planet. However, only Mars can do this, and only rarely; the last time was on September 3, 423.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f van Leeuwen, F. (November 2007). "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction". Astronomy and Astrophysics 474 (2): 653–664. Bibcode 2007A&A...474..653V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357.
- ^ a b c Wielen, R. et al. (1999), Sixth Catalogue of Fundamental Stars (FK6). Part I. Basic fundamental stars with direct solutions, Astronomisches Rechen-Institut Heidelberg, Bibcode 1999VeARI..35....1W
- ^ a b Houk, Nancy (1979), Michigan catalogue of two-dimensional spectral types for the HD stars, 3, Ann Arbor, Michigan: Dept. of Astronomy, University of Michigan, Bibcode 1982MSS...C03....0H
- ^ a b Gutierrez-Moreno, Adelina; Moreno, Hugo (June 1968), "A photometric investigation of the Scorpio-Centaurus association", Astrophysical Journal Supplement 15: 459, Bibcode 1968ApJS...15..459G, doi:10.1086/190168
- ^ a b 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, Bibcode 2011MNRAS.410..190T, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17434.x
- ^ Underhill, A. B. et al. (November 1979), "Effective temperatures, angular diameters, distances and linear radii for 160 O and B stars", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 189: 601–605, Bibcode 1979MNRAS.189..601U
- ^ a b c Zorec, J. et al. (July 2009), "Fundamental parameters of B supergiants from the BCD system. I. Calibration of the (λ_1, D) parameters into Teff", Astronomy and Astrophysics 501 (1): 297–320, Bibcode 2009A&A...501..297Z, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200811147
- ^ Abt, Helmut A.; Levato, Hugo; Grosso, Monica (July 2002), "Rotational Velocities of B Stars", The Astrophysical Journal 573 (1): 359–365, Bibcode 2002ApJ...573..359A, doi:10.1086/340590
- ^ Allen, Richard Hinckley, Star Names, their lore and meaning, p. 359
- ^ "NUNKI (Sigma Sagatarii)", Stars (University of Illinois), http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/nunki.html, retrieved 2012-01-31
- ^ Cassinelli, J. P. et al. (February 1994), "X-ray emission from near-main-sequence B stars", Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 421 (2): 705–717, Bibcode 1994ApJ...421..705C, doi:10.1086/173683
