Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
---|---|
Constellation | Piscis Austrinus |
Right ascension | 22h 56m 24.05256s [1] |
Declination | −31° 33′ 56.0306″ [1] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 5.44–6.51 [2] |
Characteristics | |
Spectral type | K5Vp [3] |
U−B color index | 1.02 [4] |
B−V color index | 1.10 [4] |
Variable type | BY Draconis [2] |
Astrometry | |
Radial velocity (Rv) | +6.79±0.12 [1] km/s |
Proper motion (μ) | RA: 330.203 mas/yr [1] Dec.: −158.602 mas/yr [1] |
Parallax (π) | 131.5525 ± 0.0275 mas [1] |
Distance | 24.793 ± 0.005 ly (7.602 ± 0.002 pc) |
Absolute magnitude (MV) | 7.08 [5] |
Details | |
Mass | 0.725 ± 0.036 [3] M☉ |
Radius | 0.629 ± 0.051 [3] R☉ |
Luminosity | 0.19 [5] L☉ |
Temperature | 4,711 ± 134 [3] K |
Rotation | 10.3 [6] days |
Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 2.93 [3] km/s |
Age | 440 [5] Myr |
Other designations | |
Database references | |
SIMBAD | data |
ARICNS | data |
TW Piscis Austrini (also known as Fomalhaut B) is a main sequence star in the constellation Piscis Austrinus. It lies relatively close to the Sun, at an estimated distance of 24.8 light-years (7.6 parsecs ). To an observer on Earth the star is visually separated from its larger companion Fomalhaut (A) by 2 degrees—the width of four full moons. [8]
The name TW Piscis Austrini is a variable star designation. This is a variable star of the type known as a BY Draconis variable, with surface brightness variations causing the changes as the star rotates. It varies slightly in apparent magnitude, ranging from 6.44 to 6.51 over a 10.3-day period. [2]
TW Piscis Austrini lies within a light-year of Fomalhaut. [10] Due to sharing the same proper motion, and the same estimated age of approximately 440 ± 40 million years, astronomers now consider them to be elements of a multiple star system. [5] A third star, dimmer and more widely separated, Fomalhaut C, gives the system the widest visual separation, to observers from Earth, at approximately 6 degrees. [8]
In 2019, an exoplanet candidate around Fomalhaut B was detected by astrometry, but this remains unconfirmed. [11] [12]
Companion (in order from star) | Mass | Semimajor axis (AU) | Orbital period (years) | Eccentricity | Inclination | Radius |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
b(unconfirmed) | 1.2+0.7 −0.6 MJ | — | 25+52 −21 | — | — | — |
Piscis Austrinus is a constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere. The name is Latin for "the southern fish", in contrast with the larger constellation Pisces, which represents a pair of fish. Before the 20th century, it was also known as Piscis Notius. Piscis Austrinus was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. The stars of the modern constellation Grus once formed the "tail" of Piscis Austrinus. In 1597, Petrus Plancius carved out a separate constellation and named it after the crane.
Fomalhaut is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Piscis Austrinus, the Southern Fish, and one of the brightest stars in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation Alpha Piscis Austrini, which is Latinized from α Piscis Austrini, and is abbreviated Alpha PsA or α PsA. This is a class A star on the main sequence approximately 25 light-years (7.7 pc) from the Sun as measured by the Hipparcos astrometry satellite. Since 1943, the spectrum of this star has served as one of the stable anchor points by which other stars are classified.
R Apodis is a star in the constellation Apus.
Chi Draconis is a magnitude 3.6 binary star in the constellation Draco. It also has the Flamsteed designation 44 Draconis. At a distance of 27 light years, it is one of the forty or so closest stars.
HD 113703, also known by the Bayer designation f Centauri, is a multiple star system in the southern constellation of Centaurus. The combined apparent visual magnitude of this system is +4.71, which is sufficient to make it faintly visible to the naked eye. The distance to this system is approximately 400 light years based on parallax measurements. It is a member of the Lower Centaurus Crux subgroup of the Scorpius–Centaurus association.
V385 Andromedae is a variable star in the constellation Andromeda, about 360 parsecs (1,200 ly) away. It is a red giant over a hundred times larger than the sun. It has an apparent magnitude around 6.4, just about visible to the naked eye in ideal conditions.
W Andromedae is a variable star in the constellation of Andromeda. It is classified as a Mira variable and S-type star, and varies from an apparent visual magnitude of 14.6 at minimum brightness to a magnitude of 6.7 at maximum brightness, with a period of approximately 397.3 days. The star is losing mass due to stellar winds at a rate of 2.79×10−7M☉/yr.
V429 Geminorum (BD+20°1790) is a young orange dwarf star in the constellation Gemini, located 90 light years away from the Sun. It is a BY Draconis variable, a cool dwarf which varies rapidly in brightness as it rotates.
HD 190007, also known as Gliese 775, is a star in the constellation of Aquila. Parallax measurements by Gaia put the star at a distance of 41.5 light-years away.
R Equulei is a class M Mira variable star in the constellation Equuleus. Its brightness varies between a minimum magnitude of 15.0 to a maximum of 8.7 with an average period of 261 days.
Eta Piscis Austrini is binary star system in the southern constellation of Piscis Austrinus. As of 2000, the two components had an angular separation of 1.818 arc seconds along a position angle of 113.4°. The pair have a combined apparent visual magnitude of +5.43, which is bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 3.99 mas as seen from the Earth, the system is located roughly 820 light years from the Sun.
HD 91496 is a giant star in the constellation Carina, with an apparent magnitude is 4.92 and an MK spectral class of K4/5 III. It has been suspected of varying in brightness, but this has not been confirmed.
R Geminorum is a Mira variable and technetium star in the constellation Gemini. It is located approximately 850 parsecs (2,800 ly) away.
Gliese 908 is a red dwarf star, located in constellation Pisces at 19.3 light-years from Earth. It is a BY Draconis variable star with a variable star designation of BR Piscium. Its apparent magnitude varies between magnitude 8.93 and magnitude 9.03 as a result of starspots and varying chromospheric activity.
EQ Pegasi is a nearby binary system of two red dwarfs. Both components are flare stars, with spectral types of M4Ve and M6Ve respectively, and a current separation between the components of 5.8 arcseconds. The system is at a distance of 20.4 light-years, and is 950 million years old. The primary star is orbited by one known exoplanet.
Gliese 402 is a star located 22.7 light years from the Solar System. Located in the constellation of Leo, it is also known as Wolf 358 from its entry in Max Wolf's star catalogue. The stars nearest to Gliese 402 are Gliese 393, at 3.43 light years, Gliese 408, at 6.26 light years, and Gliese 382 at 6.66 light years.
V Antliae is a Mira variable star in the constellation Antlia. It varies in brightness between magnitudes 8.2 and 14.0 with a period of 303 days.
8 Draconis, formally named Taiyi, is a single star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Draco. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 34.14 mas as seen from the Earth, the star is located approximately 96 light-years from the Sun. It is moving further away with a heliocentric radial velocity of +9 km/s, having come within 40.6 ly some 2.6 million years ago.
T Leporis is a variable star in the constellation of Lepus, the Hare. It is located half a degree from ε Leporis in the sky; its distance is approximately 1,100 light years from the Solar System. It has the spectral type M6ev, and is a Mira variable — as is R Leporis, in the same constellation — whose apparent magnitude varies between +7.40 and +14.30 with a period of 368.13 days.
Y Tauri is a carbon star located in the constellation Taurus. Parallax measurements by Gaia put it at a distance of approximately 2,170 light-years.
Though it may appear isolated in the barren October sky, Fomalhaut has company. It feels the gravitational tug of the magnitude +6.5 star TW Piscis Austrini, 2° to the south. Both are 25 light-years distant and move in tandem across space, partaking of the same proper motion. They form a true double star with an actual separation of 5.5 trillion miles, or 0.91 light-year.
Believe it or not, an extrasolar planet might also be circling TW Piscis Austrini. NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), a space telescope that's searching for planets around the brightest stars in Earth's night sky, recently found a possible candidate circling this star. It's almost the same size as our Earth, and orbits the star about every 10 days at a distance of 7.5 million miles from it.