Nu Aquarii

ν Aquarii
Location of ν Aquarii (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Aquarius
Right ascension 21h 09m 35.64888s[1]
Declination –11° 22′ 18.0851″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 4.52[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type G8 III[3]
U−B color index +0.66[2]
B−V color index +0.94[2]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−11.23[4] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: +94.12[1] mas/yr
Dec.: −14.62[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)20.47 ± 0.21 mas[1]
Distance159 ± 2 ly
(48.9 ± 0.5 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)+0.93[5]
Details
Mass2.35[5] M☉
Radius8[4] R☉
Luminosity37[4] L☉
Surface gravity (log g)2.8[4] cgs
Temperature4,920[4] K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.15[4] dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)0.0[4] km/s
Age708[5] Myr
Other designations
13 Aquarii, BD–11 5538, HD 201381, HIP 104459, HR 8093, SAO 164182[6]
Database references
SIMBADdata

Nu Aquarii (ν Aqr, ν Aquarii) is the Bayer designation for a star in the equatorial constellation of Aquarius.

With an apparent visual magnitude of 4.52,[2] Nu Aquarii is visible to the naked eye. Its distance from Earth, as determined from parallax measurements, is around 159 light-years (49 parsecs). At an estimated age of 708 million years,[5] it has evolved into a giant star with a spectrum that matches a stellar classification of G8 III.[3] It has than double the mass of the Sun[5] and has expanded to eight[4] times the Sun's radius. Nu Aquarii is radiating 37-fold[4] the luminosity of the Sun from its outer atmosphere at an effective temperature of 4,920 K.[4] At this heat, the star is glowing with the yellowish hue of a G-type star.[7]

Together with μ Aquarii, it is Albulaan /ˌælbjəˈlɑːn/, a name derived from the Arabic term al-bulaʽān (ألبولعان), meaning "the two swallowers". This star, along with ε Aqr (Albali) and μ Aqr (Albulaan), were al Bulaʽ (البلع)—the Swallower.[8][9]

In Chinese, 天壘城 (Tiān Lěi Chéng), meaning Celestial Ramparts, refers to an asterism consisting of ν Aquarii, ξ Aquarii, 46 Capricorni, 47 Capricorni, λ Capricorni, 50 Capricorni, 18 Aquarii, 29 Capricorni, 9 Aquarii, 8 Aquarii, 14 Aquarii, 17 Aquarii and 19 Aquarii.[10] Consequently, the Chinese name for ν Aquarii itself is 天壘城十 (Tiān Lěi Chéng shí, English: the Tenth Star of Celestial Ramparts).[11]

  1. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference aaa474_2_653 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference clpl4_99 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference msom1962 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Cite error: The named reference aj135_1_209 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference pasj60_4_781 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).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference csiro was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference davis_jr1944 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference allen1963 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ (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.
  11. ^ (in Chinese) AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 5 月 15 日 Archived 2011-05-21 at the Wayback Machine