3 Centauri
| Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Right ascension | 13h 51m 49.60s[1] |
| Declination | −32° 59′ 38.7″[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +4.56/+6.06 |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | B5IIIp/B8V |
| U−B color index | −0.60 |
| B−V color index | −0.13 |
| Variable type | eclipsing binary? |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | +10 km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: -34.54 ± 0.78[1] mas/yr Dec.: -28.21 ± 0.62[1] mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 9.49 ± 0.89 mas[1] |
| Distance | 340 ± 30 ly (105 ± 10 pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | −0.23/+1.27 |
| Other designations | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
3 Centauri is a binary star in the constellation Centaurus. It is approximately 340 light years from Earth.
The primary component, 3 Centauri A, is a blue-white B-type giant with a mean apparent magnitude of +4.56. It is a variable star, and its brightness varies from magnitude +4.27 to +4.32 It is suspected the variations in luminosity are a result of the primary being an eclipsing binary, which would mean the system would consist of at least three objects. Its more distant companion, 3 Centauri B, is located 7.9 arcseconds away. It is a blue-white B-type main sequence dwarf and has an apparent magnitude of +6.06.
References
- ^ a b c d e 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. Vizier catalog entry
 | This variable star–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This binary or multiple star system–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |