Iota Ceti

Iota Ceti
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation Cetus
Right ascension 00h 19m 25.674394s[1]
Declination −08° 49′ 26.10898″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 3.562[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type K1.5 III[3] or K1 II + (K)[4]
U−B color index +1.278[2]
B−V color index +1.212[2]
Variable type Suspected[5]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)+19.35±0.17[6] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −14.61 mas/yr[1]
Dec.: −36.668° mas/yr[1]
Parallax (π)11.6996 ± 0.1968 mas[1]
Distance279 ± 5 ly
(85 ± 1 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)−1.2[7]
Details[8]
Mass3.7±0.1 M☉
Radius30±0.7 R☉
Luminosity377±22 L☉
Surface gravity (log g)2.1[6] cgs
Temperature4,645±73 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.09[6] dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)0.4[6] km/s
Age230±30 Myr
Other designations
ι Cet, 8 Cet, BD−09° 48, FK5 9, HD 1522, HIP 1562, HR 74, SAO 128694.[9]
Database references
SIMBADdata

Iota Ceti (ι Cet, ι Ceti) is the Bayer designation for a star system in the equatorial constellation of Cetus. It has the traditional name Deneb Kaitos Shemali.[10] The name was from the Arabic word ذنب قيطس الشمالي - dhanab qayṭas al-shamālī, meaning the northern tail of the sea monster. it is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 3.562.[2] Based upon an annual parallax shift of 11.7 mas,[11] it lies around 280 light years from the Sun.

In Chinese, 天倉 (Tiān Cāng), meaning Square Celestial Granary, refers to an asterism consisting of ι Ceti, η Ceti, θ Ceti, ζ Ceti, τ Ceti and 57 Ceti.[12] Consequently, the Chinese name for ι Ceti itself is 天倉一 (Tiān Cāng yī, English: the First Star of Square Celestial Granary.)[13]

This is an MK-standard star with a stellar classification of K1.5 III,[14] indicating that it is an evolved K-type giant star. However, Houk and Swift (1999) list a classification of K1 II,[4] which would indicate this is a bright giant. It is a suspected variable with a visual amplitude of around 0.05 magnitude.[5] The star has about 3.7 times the mass of the Sun, 30 times the Sun's radius, and radiates 380 times the solar luminosity from its outer atmosphere at an effective temperature of 4,645 K.[8]

Iota Ceti forms a wide astrometric pair with a common proper motion companion,[15] a magnitude 10.40 star at an angular separation of 106.4 arcseconds along a position angle of 191° (as of 2014).[16] This companion may be a K-type star.[4]

  1. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference DR3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference Jennens1975 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Luck2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Houk1999 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Eggen1993 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference aj135_1_209 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ryon2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference baines was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference SIMBAD was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bakich1995 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference vanLeeuwen2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ (in Chinese) 中國星座神話, written by 陳久金. Published by 台灣書房出版有限公司, 2005, ISBN 978-986-7332-25-7.
  13. ^ (in Chinese) 香港太空館 - 研究資源 - 亮星中英對照表 Archived 2009-09-29 at the Wayback Machine, Hong Kong Space Museum. Accessed on line November 23, 2010.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference Garcia1989 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference gontcharov2001 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference Mason2014 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).