Alpha_Phoenicis

Alpha Phoenicis

Alpha Phoenicis

Orange-hued star in the constellation Phoenix


Alpha Phoenicis (α Phoenicis, abbreviated Alpha Phe or α Phe), formally named Ankaa /ˈæŋkə/,[11] with the same pronunciation) is the brightest star in the constellation of Phoenix.

Quick Facts Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000, Constellation ...

Nomenclature

Alpha Phoenicis is the star's Bayer designation. It also bore the traditional name Ankaa sometime after 1800, from the Arabic العنقاء al-ʽanqāʼ "the phoenix" for the name of the constellation.[11] The International Astronomical Union has formally adopted the Ankaa as the proper name for Alpha Phoenicis.[12]

Medieval Arab astronomers formed the constellation of the dhow (where Phoenix is), so another popular name for the star is Nair al Zaurak[13] from نائر الزورقnayyir az-zawraq "the bright (star) of the skiff". The Latin translation is Cymbae, from lūcida cumbae.[13]

In Chinese caused by adaptation of the European southern hemisphere constellations into the Chinese system, 火鳥 (Huǒ Niǎo), meaning Firebird, refers to an asterism consisting of α Phoenicis, ι Phoenicis, σ Phoenicis, ε Phoenicis, κ Phoenicis, μ Phoenicis, λ1 Phoenicis, β Phoenicis and γ Phoenicis . Consequently, α Phoenicis itself is known as 火鳥六 (Huǒ Niǎo liù, English: the Sixth Star of Firebird.)[14]

Description

Alpha Phoenicis is a spectroscopic binary star system with components that orbit each other every 3,848.8 days (10.5 years).[6] The combined stellar classification of the system is K0.5 IIIb,[3] which matches the spectrum of a normal luminosity giant star. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 2.4,[2] so it is somewhat outshone by its first magnitude neighbors Achernar (α Eridani) and Fomalhaut (α Piscis Austrinus). Based upon parallax measurements, this system is at a distance of about 85 light-years (26 parsecs) from the Earth.[15] The interferometry-measured angular diameter of the primary component, after correcting for limb darkening, is 5.25±0.06 mas,[16] which, at its estimated distance, equates to a physical radius of about 15 times the radius of the Sun.[8]


References

  1. Vallenari, A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2023). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 674: A1. arXiv:2208.00211. Bibcode:2023A&A...674A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940. S2CID 244398875. Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  2. Gutierrez-Moreno, Adelina; et al. (1966), "A System of photometric standards", Publications of the Department of Astronomy University of Chile, 1, Publicaciones Universidad de Chile, Department de Astronomy: 1–17, Bibcode:1966PDAUC...1....1G
  3. Gray, R. O.; et al. (July 2006), "Contributions to the Nearby Stars (NStars) Project: Spectroscopy of Stars Earlier than M0 within 40 pc-The Southern Sample", The Astronomical Journal, 132 (1): 161–170, arXiv:astro-ph/0603770, Bibcode:2006AJ....132..161G, doi:10.1086/504637, S2CID 119476992
  4. Evans, D. S. (June 20–24, 1966), Batten, Alan Henry; Heard, John Frederick (eds.), "The Revision of the General Catalogue of Radial Velocities", Determination of Radial Velocities and Their Applications, Proceedings from IAU Symposium No. 30, 30, University of Toronto: International Astronomical Union: 57, Bibcode:1967IAUS...30...57E
  5. Cardini, D. (January 2005), "Mg II chromospheric radiative loss rates in cool active and quiet stars", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 430: 303–311, arXiv:astro-ph/0409683, Bibcode:2005A&A...430..303C, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20041440, S2CID 12136256
  6. Jancart, S.; et al. (October 2005), "Astrometric orbits of SB^9 stars", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 442 (1): 365–380, arXiv:astro-ph/0507695, Bibcode:2005A&A...442..365J, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20053003, S2CID 15123997
  7. Charbonnel, C.; Lagarde, N.; Jasniewicz, G.; North, P. L.; Shetrone, M.; Krugler Hollek, J.; Smith, V. V.; Smiljanic, R.; Palacios, A.; Ottoni, G. (2020), "Lithium in red giant stars: Constraining non-standard mixing with large surveys in the Gaia era", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 633: A34, arXiv:1910.12732, Bibcode:2020A&A...633A..34C, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201936360, S2CID 204907220
  8. Lang, Kenneth R. (2006), Astrophysical formulae, Astronomy and astrophysics library, vol. 1 (3rd ed.), Birkhäuser, ISBN 3-540-29692-1. The radius (R*) is given by:
  9. Costa, J. M.; et al. (February 2002), "The tidal effects on the lithium abundance of binary systems with giant component", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 382 (3): 1016–1020, arXiv:astro-ph/0111539, Bibcode:2002A&A...382.1016C, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20011676, S2CID 17024265
  10. Kunitzsch, Paul; Smart, Tim (2006), A Dictionary of Modern star Names: A Short Guide to 254 Star Names and Their Derivations (2nd rev. ed.), Cambridge, Massachusetts: Sky Pub, ISBN 978-1-931559-44-7
  11. Allen, Richard Hinckley (1899), Star-names and their meanings, G. E. Stechert, p. 336
  12. van Leeuwen, F. (November 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, S2CID 18759600
  13. Richichi, A.; Percheron, I.; Khristoforova, M. (February 2005), "CHARM2: An updated Catalog of High Angular Resolution Measurements", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 431 (2): 773–777, Bibcode:2005A&A...431..773R, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20042039

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