Zeta Fornacis

Zeta Fornacis
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation Fornax
Right ascension 02h 59m 36.18299s[1]
Declination −25° 16′ 26.8853″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 5.67[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type F4 V[3]
U−B color index +0.01[2]
B−V color index +0.39[2]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)+29.09±0.63[1] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: +181.005[1] mas/yr
Dec.: +84.641[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)29.8975 ± 0.0856 mas[1]
Distance109.1 ± 0.3 ly
(33.45 ± 0.10 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)+3.14[4]
Details
Mass1.8[5] M☉
Radius1.62+0.02
−0.03[1] R☉
Luminosity4.77±0.02[1] L☉
Surface gravity (log g)4.16±0.14[5] cgs
Temperature6,699+65
−39[1] K
Metallicity [Fe/H]+0.02[3] dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)84.9±4.2[4] km/s
Age1.5[5] Gyr
Other designations
ζ For, CD−25° 1191, HD 18692, HIP 13942, HR 901, SAO 168209.[6]
Database references
SIMBADdata

ζ Fornacis (often Latinised as Zeta Fornacis) is the Bayer designation for a star in the southern constellation of Fornax. It is faintly visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 5.67.[2] Based upon a measured annual parallax shift of 29.9 mas,[1] it is located at a distance of about 109 light-years from the Sun. The star is drifting further away with a radial velocity of +29 km/s.[1] Positioned about 1.3° to the southeast of Zeta Fornacis is the galaxy NGC 1232.[7]

This is an F-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of F4 V.[3] With an estimated age of 1.5 billion years, it has 1.8[5] times the mass of the Sun and 1.6[1] times the Sun's radius. The star is radiating 4.77 times the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 6,699 K.[1] It is spinning with a projected rotational velocity of 84.9 km/s,[4] and has a near-solar metallicity—what astronomers term the abundance of elements other than hydrogen and helium.[3] This star is a probable member of the Hyades Stream[8]—a group of stars that share a common motion through space with the Hyades cluster.

Zeta Fornacis has a common proper motion companion, NLTT 9563, a magnitude 13.50[9] star with a classification of M 2.5.[10] As of 2004, this companion was positioned at an angular separation of 176.1 arcseconds along a position angle of 288.1°.[9]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Cite error: The named reference GaiaDR2 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 Cite error: The named reference Gray2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference AmmlerVonEiff2012 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).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bakich2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Eggen1985 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Gould2004 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Scholz2005 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).