Tau Sculptoris

Tau Sculptoris
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation Sculptor
Right ascension 01h 36m 08.50799s[1]
Declination −29° 54′ 26.3540″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) +5.69[2] (6.06 + 7.35)[3]
Characteristics
Spectral type F2 V[4]
B−V color index +0.33[2]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)+3.00±4.50[5] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: +117.37[1] mas/yr
Dec.: +46.72[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)14.42 ± 0.81 mas[1]
Distance230 ± 10 ly
(69 ± 4 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)2.04 + 3.02[6]
Orbit[6]
Period (P)1503.58 ± 35.32 yr
Semi-major axis (a)3.155±0.132″
Eccentricity (e)0.604±0.019
Inclination (i)55.6±0.8°
Longitude of the node (Ω)69.6±0.8°
Periastron epoch (T)2039.79 ± 33.80
Argument of periastron (ω)
(secondary)		140.2±2.8°
Details
τ Her A
Mass1.56[7] M☉
Surface gravity (log g)3.96±0.14[7] cgs
Temperature7,155±243[7] K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.12[8] dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)73.8±7.8[9] km/s
Age1.284[7] Gyr
τ Her B
Mass1.37[6] M☉
Other designations
τ Scl, CD−30° 540, HD 9906, HIP 7463, HR 462, SAO 193201, WDS J01361-2954[10]
Database references
SIMBADdata

Tau Sculptoris (τ Scl, τ Sculptoris) is a binary star[6] system in the southern constellation of Sculptor, about 8° to the east-southeast of Alpha Sculptoris.[11] It is faintly visible to the naked eye with a combined apparent visual magnitude of +5.69.[2] Based upon an annual parallax shift of 14.42 mas as seen from Earth,[1] it is located around 230 light years from the Sun.

The binary nature of this system was discovered by English astronomer John Herschel in 1835. The current orbital elements are based upon a fraction of a single orbit, as the estimated orbital period is around 1,503 years. The system has a semimajor axis of 3.2 arc seconds and an eccentricity of 0.6.[6] The primary member, component A, is a yellow-white hued F-type main sequence star with an apparent magnitude of +6.06[3] and a stellar classification of F2 V.[4] The companion, component B, is a magnitude 7.35 star.[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 Cite error: The named reference Johnson1966 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Eggleton2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference houk1979 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference deBruijne2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference Cvetkovic2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference David2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Casagrande2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference AmmlerVonEiff2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference SIMBAD was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference OMeara2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).