Zeta Arae

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ζ Arae
Ara constellation map.svg
Red circle.svg
Location of ζ Arae (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000       Equinox J2000
Constellation Ara
Right ascension 16h 58m 37.213s [1]
Declination −55° 59′ 24.50″ [1]
Apparent magnitude  (V)3.13 [2]
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage AGB [3]
Spectral type K3 III [4]
U−B color index +1.96 [2]
B−V color index +1.60 [2]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−6.0±0.6 [5] km/s
Proper motion (μ)RA: −17.518 mas/yr [1]
Dec.: −36.120 mas/yr [1]
Parallax (π)5.7725±0.1727  mas [1]
Distance 570 ± 20  ly
(173 ± 5  pc)
Absolute magnitude  (MV)−3.95 [6]
Details
Mass 7–8 [7]   M☉
Radius 114±4 [7]   R☉
Luminosity 3,800+464
−414 [7]   L☉
Surface gravity (log g)1.200±0.004 [7]   cgs
Temperature 4,246+99
−96 [7]   K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.40 [8]   dex
Other designations
Tseen Yin, ζ Arae, CPD−55°7766, FK5 631, GC 22845, GJ 9581, HD 152786, HIP 83081, HR 6285, SAO 244315, PPM 345563 [9]
Database references
SIMBAD data
ARICNS data

Zeta Arae is the third-brightest star in the southern constellation Ara. [10] Its name is a Bayer designation that is Latinized from ζ Arae, and abbreviated Zeta Ara or ζ Ara. The apparent visual magnitude of this star is 3.1, [2] which can be seen with the naked eye from suburban skies in the southern hemisphere. From the parallax measurements, it is located at a distance of approximately 490 light-years (150 parsecs ) from Earth. [1] The star is drifting closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of 6 km/s. [5]

Contents

The spectrum of this star matches a stellar classification of K3 III. [4] The luminosity class of 'III' indicates this is a giant star that has exhausted the hydrogen at its core and evolved away from the main sequence. However, some studies have suggested it is instead a supergiant. [6] [11] The star has 7-8 times the mass of the Sun and has expanded to 114 times the Sun's girth. It is radiating 3,800 [7] times the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 4,246 K, [7] giving it the orange hue of a K-type star. [12]

In 1997, an excess of infrared emission was announced that may indicate circumstellar matter. [13] However, a 2015 study found no excess. [14] A candidate gravitationally bound companion was announced in 2022. This object lies at an angular separation of 138.4″ from Zeta Arae, which is equivalent to a projected separation of 20.63×103  au . [15]

Nomenclature

In Chinese, 龜 (Guī), meaning Tortoise , refers to an asterism consisting of ζ Arae, ε1 Arae, γ Arae, δ Arae and η Arae. [16] Consequently, the Chinese name for ζ Arae itself is 龜五 (Guī wǔ, English: the Fifth Star of Tortoise.) [17]

R. H. Allen called it Tseen Yin /ˌsiːnˈjɪn/ , together with δ Arae, from the Chinese 天陰 (Mandarin pronunciation tiānyīn) "dark sky". [18] However, 天陰 is in Aries. [19] [20] so Allen probably confused constellation "Ara" with "Ari".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Vallenari, A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2023). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 674: A1. arXiv: 2208.00211 . Bibcode:2023A&A...674A...1G. doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202243940 . S2CID   244398875. Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR .
  2. 1 2 3 4 Johnson, H. L.; et al. (1966), "UBVRIJKL photometry of the bright stars", Communications of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, 4 (99): 99, Bibcode:1966CoLPL...4...99J.
  3. ↑ McDonald, I.; Srinivasan, S.; Scicluna, P.; Jones, O. C.; Zijlstra, A. A.; Wallström, S. H. J.; Danilovich, T.; He, J. H.; Marshall, J. P.; Van Loon, J. Th; Wesson, R.; Kemper, F.; Trejo-Cruz, A.; Greaves, J.; Dharmawardena, T.; Cami, J.; Kim, Hyosun; Kraemer, K. E.; Clark, C. J. R.; Shinnaga, H.; Haswell, C.; Imai, H.; Wouterloot, J. G. A.; Pérez Vidal, A. J.; Rau, G.; the NESS collaboration (2025). "The Nearby Evolved Stars Survey (NESS) V: Properties of volume-limited samples of Galactic evolved stars". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 541 (1): 516. arXiv: 2506.10542 . Bibcode:2025MNRAS.541..516M. doi: 10.1093/mnras/staf978 .
  4. 1 2 Houk, Nancy (1978), "Michigan catalogue of two-dimensional spectral types for the HD stars", University of Michigan Catalogue of Two-dimensional Spectral Types for the HD Stars. Volume I, 1, Ann Arbor: Dept. of Astronomy, University of Michigan, Bibcode:1975mcts.book.....H.
  5. 1 2 Gontcharov, G. A. (2006), "Pulkovo compilation of radial velocities for 35495 stars in a common system", Astronomy Letters, 32 (11): 759–771, arXiv: 1606.08053 , Bibcode:2006AstL...32..759G, doi:10.1134/S1063773706110065, S2CID   119231169.
  6. 1 2 Jasniewicz, G.; et al. (February 1999), "Late-type giants with infrared excess. I. Lithium abundances", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 342: 831–838, Bibcode:1999A&A...342..831J.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Cruzalèbes, P.; et al. (2013), "Fundamental parameters of 16 late-type stars derived from their angular diameter measured with VLTI/AMBER", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 434 (1): 437, arXiv: 1306.3288 , Bibcode:2013MNRAS.434..437C, doi: 10.1093/mnras/stt1037 , S2CID   49573767.
  8. ↑ Jones, K. L.; et al. (June 1992), "Spectroscopic investigation of cool giants and the authenticity of their reported microwave emission", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , 256 (3): 535–544, Bibcode:1992MNRAS.256..535J, doi: 10.1093/mnras/256.3.535 .
  9. ↑ "zet Ara", SIMBAD , Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg , retrieved 2012-01-05.
  10. ↑ Kaler, Jim (July 13, 2012), "Zeta Arae", Stars, University of Illinois, retrieved 12 September 2019.
  11. ↑ Kratka, T.; Stefl, V. (2007), "HD152786: a Lithium Giant?", Odessa Astronomical Publications, 20: 95, Bibcode:2007OAP....20...95K.
  12. ↑ "The Colour of Stars", Australia Telescope, Outreach and Education, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, December 21, 2004, archived from the original on 2013-12-03, retrieved 2012-01-16.
  13. ↑ Plets, H.; et al. (July 1997), "Giants with infrared excess", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 323: 513–523, Bibcode:1997A&A...323..513P.
  14. ↑ Rebull, Luisa M.; et al. (October 2015), "On Infrared Excesses Associated with Li-rich K Giants", The Astronomical Journal, 150 (4): 45, arXiv: 1507.00708 , Bibcode:2015AJ....150..123R, doi:10.1088/0004-6256/150/4/123, S2CID   46595131, 123.
  15. ↑ Kervella, Pierre; et al. (January 2022), "Stellar and substellar companions from Gaia EDR3. Proper-motion anomaly and resolved common proper-motion pairs", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 657: A7, arXiv: 2109.10912 , Bibcode:2022A&A...657A...7K, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202142146, ISSN   0004-6361.
  16. ↑ (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.
  17. ↑ (in Chinese) AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 7 月 1 日 Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ↑ Allen, R. H. (1963), Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning (Reprint ed.), New York, NY: Dover Publications Inc., p.  64, ISBN   0-486-21079-0.{{citation}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  19. ↑ Chevalier, S., and Tsuchihashi, P., (1911): "Catalogue d'Étoiles fixes, observés a Pekin sous l'Empereur Kien Long (Qianlong (Chien-Lung)), XVIIIe siecle", Annales de l'Observatoire Astronomique de Zô-Sé .
  20. ↑ 伊世同 (Yi Shi Tong) (1981): 『中西対照恒星図表』科学出版社.(in Chinese)
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