AB Pictoris

AB Pictoris

Coronagraphic image of AB Pictoris showing its tiny companion (bottom left). The data was obtained on 16 March 2003 with NACO on the VLT, using a 1.4 arcsec occulting mask on top of AB Pictoris.
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation Pictor
Right ascension 06h 19m 12.913s[1]
Declination −58° 03′ 15.53″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 9.13[2] (9.21 to 9.35)[3]
Characteristics
Spectral type K1V(e)[2]
B−V color index 0.861±0.027[4]
Variable type BY Dra[3]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)22.6±0.3[2] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: 14.314±0.015 mas/yr[1]
Dec.: 45.234±0.017 mas/yr[1]
Parallax (π)19.9452 ± 0.0124 mas[1]
Distance163.5 ± 0.1 ly
(50.14 ± 0.03 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)5.82[4]
Details
Mass0.90±0.10[5] M☉
Radius0.92±0.03[6] R☉
Luminosity0.51[4] L☉
Surface gravity (log g)4.67±0.09[5] cgs
Temperature5,188±50[6] K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.54[4] dex
Rotation3.90±0.08 d[7]
Rotational velocity (v sin i)10.87±0.08[7] km/s
Age30–40[8] Myr
Other designations
AB Pic, CD−58 1409, CPD−58 670, HD 44627A, 44627, HIP 30034, SAO 234448, PPM 335089[9]
Database references
SIMBADdata

AB Pictoris (abbreviated AB Pic, also catalogued as HD 44627) is a K-type main-sequence star, located 163.5 light-years away in the southern constellation of Pictor.[1] It has been identified as a member of the young (30 million years old) Tucana–Horologium association.[10] The star has been classified as a BY Draconis variable,[3] indicating it has an active chromosphere. It is an X-ray source and displays emission lines in its spectrum.[11][2]

In 2005 it was announced that an astronomical object (AB Pictoris b, abbreviated AB Pic b) had been imaged in 2003 and 2004 close to and apparently in orbit around the star. Its mass suggests that it is at the borderline between being a brown dwarf or a planet.[12]

A visual band light curve for AB Pictoris. The main plot shows the long-term variability, and the inset plot shows the periodic variation. Adapted from Kiraga (2012)[13]
  1. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference GaiaDR3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference Torres2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Samus_et_al_2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference Anderson_Francis_2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Ghezzi_et_al_2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference van_Belle_von_Braun_2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Bowler_et_al_2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference neu05 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference sb0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Inseok Song, B. Zuckerman; Bessell, M. S. (December 2003). "New Members of the TW Hydrae Association, β Pictoris Moving Group, and Tucana/Horologium Association". The Astrophysical Journal. 599 (1): 342–350. Bibcode:2003ApJ...599..342S. doi:10.1086/379194. S2CID 51833191..
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Haakonsen_Rutledge_2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference chauvin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference Kiraga was invoked but never defined (see the help page).