M Carinae (HD 88981) is a solitary star in the constellation Carina. It has an apparent magnitude of +5.154,[2] making it faintly visible to the naked eye under ideal and is located approximately 310[1] light-years from Earth. With a heliocentric radial velocity of −15.2 km/s[5] M Carinae is drifting closer to the Solar System.
Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
---|---|
Constellation | Carina |
Right ascension | 10h 13m 30.6318s[1] |
Declination | −66° 22′ 22.1166″[1] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 5.154±0.009[2] |
Characteristics | |
Spectral type | kA8 mF4 III[3] |
U−B color index | +0.18[4] |
B−V color index | +0.22[4] |
Astrometry | |
Radial velocity (Rv) | −15.2 ± 2[5] km/s |
Proper motion (μ) | RA: −34.330[1] mas/yr Dec.: +11.333[1] mas/yr |
Parallax (π) | 10.5045 ± 0.1031 mas[1] |
Distance | 310 ± 3 ly (95.2 ± 0.9 pc) |
Details | |
Mass | 2.14±0.40[6] M☉ |
Radius | 4.45+0.35 −0.16[1] R☉ |
Luminosity | 62.9±0.7[1] L☉ |
Surface gravity (log g) | 3.52±0.39[6] cgs |
Temperature | 7,706+142 −289[1] K |
Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 60[7] km/s |
Other designations | |
Database references | |
SIMBAD | data |
M Car has a stellar classification of kA8 mF4 III[3] which indicates that it has the calcium K-line and surface temperature of an A8 star and the metallic lines of an evolved F-type giant that has just exhausted hydrogen fusion at its core. At present M Car has 2.14[6] times the mass of the Sun but has mildly expanded to 4.45 times its girth. It shines at a luminosity almost 63 times greater than the Sun from its bloated photosphere at an effective temperature of 7,706 K, [1] which gives it the white glow of an A-type star. M Car spins moderately at a projected rotational velocity of 60 km/s,[7] slightly faster than most Am stars.