Beta Phoenicis (β Phoenicis, β Phe) is a binary star in the constellation Phoenix. Its apparent magnitude is 3.30,[2] meaning that it can be seen with the naked eye (see Bortle scale).
Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
---|---|
Constellation | Phoenix |
Right ascension | 01h 06m 05.03952s[1] |
Declination | −46° 43′ 06.2785″[1] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 3.30[2] (4.10 / 4.19)[3] |
Characteristics | |
Spectral type | G8III + G8III:[4] |
Astrometry | |
Proper motion (μ) | RA: −80.81[1] mas/yr Dec.: +34.97[1] mas/yr |
Parallax (π) | 0.12 ± 14.62 mas[1] |
Absolute magnitude (MV) | 0.29[5] |
Orbit[6] | |
Period (P) | 170.7±5.0 yr |
Semi-major axis (a) | 0.946±0.016″ |
Eccentricity (e) | 0.718±0.016 |
Inclination (i) | 144.0±1.5° |
Longitude of the node (Ω) | 126.4±3.5° |
Periastron epoch (T) | 2003.41±0.10 |
Argument of periastron (ω) (secondary) | 293.5±4.4° |
Details | |
Mass | ~2.5/~2.5 M☉ |
Luminosity | ~100/~100 L☉ |
Temperature | 5,090[5] K |
Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 11.4±0.6[5] km/s |
Other designations | |
Database references | |
SIMBAD | data |
The distance to Beta Phoenicis is poorly known. The original reduction of the Hipparcos satellite's data yielded a parallax value of 16 milliarcseconds, yet its standard error was larger than the parallax value itself.[8] The new reduction of the Hipparcos data gave 0.12 ± 14.62 milliarcseconds, still unusable.[1] The General Catalogue of Trigonometric Parallaxes, an older catalogue of ground-based parallaxes, lists the parallax as 20 ± 16 milliarcseconds, corresponding to about 200 light-years (61 pc).[9]
Beta Phoenicis is a relatively wide visual binary consisting of two G-type giant stars, both with spectral types of G8III.[4] The two orbit each other every 170.7 years and have a relatively eccentric orbit. The stars are separated by almost one arcsecond.[6]