Epsilon Ceti

Epsilon Ceti
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation Cetus
Right ascension 02h 39m 33.82853s[1]
Declination −11° 52′ 19.7132″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) +4.84[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type F2V + F7/G4V[3]
U−B color index −0.02[2]
B−V color index +0.45[2]
Astrometry
Proper motion (μ) RA: +161.62[1] mas/yr
Dec.: −230.53[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)35.1 ± 1.0 mas[1]
Distance93 ± 3 ly
(28.5 ± 0.8 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)+2.68[4]
Orbit[3]
Period (P)2.6512±0.0005 yr
Semi-major axis (a)0.1063±0.0005″
Eccentricity (e)0.230±0.001
Inclination (i)24.2±0.2°
Longitude of the node (Ω)90.2±0.2°
Periastron epoch (T)2,012.3109±0.0005
Argument of periastron (ω)
(secondary)		40.8±0.2°
Details
ε Cet A
Mass1.37±0.09[3] M☉
Luminosity7.17[4] L☉
Surface gravity (log g)4.21±0.14[5] cgs
Temperature6,537±222[5] K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.16±0.03[4] dex
Age1.8[5] Gyr
ε Cet B
Mass1.03±0.08[3] M☉
Other designations
ε Cet, 83 Cet, BD−12° 501, HD 16620, HIP 12390, HR 781, SAO 148528.[6]
Database references
SIMBADdata

Epsilon Ceti, Latinized from ε Ceti, is the Bayer designation for a binary star system located in the equatorial constellation of Cetus. It is faintly visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of +4.84.[2] Based upon an annual parallax shift of 14.58 mas,[1] it is located around 98 light-years away from the Sun.

This is a line-width spectroscopic binary star system. It has an orbital period of 2.65 years and an eccentricity of 0.23. The semimajor axis is 0.11 AU, or 11% of the distance between the Sun and the Earth, and the orbital plane is inclined at an angle of 24.2°.The primary member, component A, is an F-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of F2 V. The spectrum of the secondary, component B, can not be readily separated from that of the primary, so its type can only be estimated as a main-sequence star lying in the range between F7 V and G4 V.[3] The system is estimated to be 1.8 billion years old,[5] with the primary having 1.4 times the mass of the Sun and the secondary being about equal to the Sun's mass.[3]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference vanLeeuwen2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference Mermilliod1986 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference Docobo2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Anderson2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference David2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference SIMBAD was invoked but never defined (see the help page).