Epsilon Octantis

ε Octantis
Location of ε Octantis (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Octans
Right ascension 22h 20m 01.67970s[1]
Declination −80° 26′ 23.0947″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 4.58 - 5.30[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type M5III[3]
U−B color index +1.18[4]
B−V color index +1.47[4]
Variable type SRb[2]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)+11.70[5] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: +56.81[1] mas/yr
Dec.: −43.47[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)11.22 ± 0.23 mas[1]
Distance291 ± 6 ly
(89 ± 2 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)+0.34[6]
Details
Mass1.34[7] M☉
Radius112±15[8] R☉
Luminosity1,819[8] L☉
Surface gravity (log g)2.15[7] cgs
Temperature3,560±264[8] K
Other designations
BO Oct, ε Oct, CD−81°831, FK5 839, GC 31166, HD 210967, HIP 110256, HR 8481, SAO 258928
Database references
SIMBADdata

Epsilon Octantis, Latinized from ε Octantis, is a star in the southern circumpolar constellation of Octans. It is a faintly visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of about 5. The annual parallax shift of 11.22[1] mas yields a distance estimate of around 291 light years. It is moving further from the Sun with a radial velocity of +11.7 km/s.[5]

A light curve for Epsilon Octantis, plotted from Hipparcos data[9]

This is an evolved, cool red giant star with a stellar classification of class M5III.[3] It is a semiregular variable with a magnitude range of 4.58 to 5.30 and a (poorly defined) period around 55 days.[2] The star has 1.34[7] times the mass of the Sun and has expanded to around 112[8] times the Sun's radius. It is radiating 1,819[8] times the Sun's luminosity from its enlarged photosphere at an effective temperature of 3,560 K.[8]

Epsilon Octantis was found to be variable on a survey of the southern sky conducted by the Bamberg observatory, which was reported in 1966.[10] In 1972, it was assigned the variable star designation BO Octantis,[11] although this is now recognised as a mistake since stars with Bayer designations are not given a separate variable star designation.[2]

  1. ^ a b c d e f 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. S2CID 18759600. Vizier catalog entry
  2. ^ a b c d Samus, N. N.; Durlevich, O. V.; et al. (2009). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: General Catalogue of Variable Stars (Samus+ 2007-2013)". VizieR On-line Data Catalog: B/GCVS. Originally Published in: 2009yCat....102025S. 1. Bibcode:2009yCat....102025S.
  3. ^ a b Hoffleit, D.; Warren, W. H. (1995). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: Bright Star Catalogue, 5th Revised Ed. (Hoffleit+, 1991)". VizieR On-line Data Catalog: V/50. Originally Published in: 1964BS....C......0H. 5050. Bibcode:1995yCat.5050....0H.
  4. ^ a b Mermilliod, J. C. (2006). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: Homogeneous Means in the UBV System (Mermilliod 1991)". VizieR On-line Data Catalog: II/168. Originally Published in: Institut d'Astronomie. 2168. Bibcode:2006yCat.2168....0M.Vizier catalog entry
  5. ^ a b Gontcharov, G. A. (2006). "Pulkovo Compilation of Radial Velocities for 35 495 Hipparcos stars in a common system". Astronomy Letters. 32 (11): 759–771. arXiv:1606.08053. Bibcode:2006AstL...32..759G. doi:10.1134/S1063773706110065. S2CID 119231169.
  6. ^ Anderson, E.; Francis, Ch. (2012). "XHIP: An extended hipparcos compilation". Astronomy Letters. 38 (5): 331. arXiv:1108.4971. Bibcode:2012AstL...38..331A. doi:10.1134/S1063773712050015. S2CID 119257644. Vizier catalog entry
  7. ^ a b c Allende Prieto, C.; Lambert, D. L. (1999). "Fundamental parameters of nearby stars from the comparison with evolutionary calculations: Masses, radii and effective temperatures". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 352: 555–562. arXiv:astro-ph/9911002. Bibcode:1999A&A...352..555A. Vizier catalog entry
  8. ^ a b c d e f Arroyo-Torres, B.; et al. (June 2014), "VLTI/AMBER observations of cold giant stars: atmospheric structures and fundamental parameters", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 566: 11, arXiv:1404.7384, Bibcode:2014A&A...566A..88A, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201323264, S2CID 16778588, A88
  9. ^ "/ftp/cats/more/HIP/cdroms/cats". Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Strasbourg astronomical Data Center. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  10. ^ Strohmeier, W.; Fischer, H.; Ott, H. (1966). "Bright Southern BV-Stars". Information Bulletin on Variable Stars. 120: 1. Bibcode:1966IBVS..120....1S.
  11. ^ Kukarkin, B. V.; Kholopov, P. N.; Kukarkina, N. P.; Perova, N. B. (1 September 1972). "58th Name-List of Variable Stars". Information Bulletin on Variable Stars. 717: 1. Bibcode:1972IBVS..717....1K. ISSN 0374-0676.