AP Columbae: Difference between revisions
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==Discovery== |
==Discovery== |
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AP Columbae was discovered by an international team comprising of Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Carl Melis of the Centre for Astrophysics and Space sciences of the [[University of California]].<ref name=cass>{{cite web|url=http://cass.ucsd.edu/index.php/Main_Page|title=30 Aug 2011 : Nearby baby star identified|publisher=[[University of California]]|accessdate=2011-09-05|work=}}</ref> and a final-year PhD student, Simon Murphy, from the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics.<ref name=physorg/> For many years, scientists were of the opinion that such young stars were present only in very distant star-forming regions like the [[Orion nebula]], but with the advent of new all-sky survey techniques this has proved to be incorrect.<ref name=physorg/> |
AP Columbae was discovered by an international team comprising of Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Carl Melis of the Centre for Astrophysics and Space sciences of the [[University of California]].<ref name=cass>{{cite web|url=http://cass.ucsd.edu/index.php/Main_Page|title=30 Aug 2011 : Nearby baby star identified|publisher=[[University of California]]|accessdate=2011-09-05|work=}}</ref> and a final-year PhD student, Simon Murphy, from the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics.<ref name=physorg/> For many years, scientists were of the opinion that such young stars were present only in very distant star-forming regions like the [[Orion nebula]], but with the advent of new [[all-sky survey]] techniques this has proved to be incorrect.<ref name=physorg/> |
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==Features== |
==Features== |
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Revision as of 03:30, 13 September 2011
| Observation data Epoch Equinox | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Columba |
| Right ascension | |
| Declination | |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | Red dwarf |
| Variable type | None |
| Astrometry | |
| Details | |
| Luminosity (bolometric) | 0.001 L☉ |
| Temperature | 3700 K |
| Age | 0.04 Gyr |
AP Columbae is a pre-main-sequence star[1] in the constellation of Columba,[2] which has been studied for the last 15 years, but was recently discovered to be very young and close to earth.[3] It has been recognized as the closest young star to the Earth.[1][2][4][5]
Discovery
AP Columbae was discovered by an international team comprising of Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Carl Melis of the Centre for Astrophysics and Space sciences of the University of California.[6] and a final-year PhD student, Simon Murphy, from the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics.[2] For many years, scientists were of the opinion that such young stars were present only in very distant star-forming regions like the Orion nebula, but with the advent of new all-sky survey techniques this has proved to be incorrect.[2]
Features
AP Columbae is about 40 million years old, which is very young compared to the age of the Earth; it formed after the dinosaurs became extinct and during a period when mammals were beginning to dominate the Earth.[2][5][7] The age of the star was estimated by calculating the amount of lithium present in the star, which is rapidly burned up once nuclear fusion ignites. The star has been known for about 15 years, but recent observations by the telescopes in California; Hawaii; Coonabarabran, New South Wales; and Chile have revealed that the star is much younger and closer to Earth than previously thought.[3] AP Columbae is classified as a red dwarf with an estimated surface temperature of 3500°C. The star has not evolved into a main sequence star yet and is still in the pre-main-sequence stage.[2] Scientists hope to find newly formed planets orbiting the star from observations with the telescopes in Chile.[3] AP Columbae has a thousandth of the luminosity of our Sun and is part of a newly formed group of stars called Argus/IC 2391.[6]
Distance
The star's UV, IR and X-ray as well as visible spectra have been obtained using a variety of telescopes, yielding a detailed understanding of its condition.[3] It is at a distance of 27 light years, a figure calculated by accurate observations of the star's relative movement with respect to the background stars during the course of an Earth year.[3] Since the star is so close to the Earth, it will be possible to search for any large gas giant planets it possesses using high-resolution images of its immediate neighborhood. Such an approach would not be practical for other, more distant, young stars.[2][5][7]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Found: A [[young star]] in Earth's backyard". The Times of India. Retrieved 2011-09-05.
{{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help) - ^ a b c d e f g "A new(ish) star is born AP Columbae" (PDF). PhysOrg. Retrieved 2011-09-05.
- ^ a b c d e "Baby star found close to Earth". Australian Geographic. Retrieved 2011-09-05.
- ^ "AP Columbae". Zee News. Retrieved 2011-09-05.
- ^ a b c "Skygazers find Earth's closest young star". theconversation.edu.au. Retrieved 2011-09-05.
- ^ a b "30 Aug 2011 : Nearby baby star identified". University of California. Retrieved 2011-09-05.
- ^ a b "Earth's closest neighbouring star discovered". IBN Live. Retrieved 2011-09-05.
