Alpha Octantis
| Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS) | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Octans |
| Right ascension | 21h 04m 43.06347s |
| Declination | −77° 01′ 25.5735″ |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 5.13 |
| Characteristics | |
| Evolutionary stage | Main sequence |
| Spectral type | F4III + F5III |
| U−B color index | +0.13 |
| B−V color index | +0.490±0.008 |
| Variable type | EB |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | 85.9±1.5 km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: +22.5215 mas/yr Dec.: −369.325 mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 22.5215±0.0955 mas |
| Distance | 144.8 ± 0.6 ly (44.4 ± 0.2 pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | 1.93±0.02 |
| Orbit | |
| Period (P) | 9.073 d |
| Eccentricity (e) | 0.39 |
| Periastron epoch (T) | 2,435,302.404 |
| Argument of periastron (ω) (secondary) | 276° |
| Semi-amplitude (K1) (primary) | 47 km/s |
| Semi-amplitude (K2) (secondary) | 47 km/s |
| Details | |
| A | |
| Mass | 1.9 M☉ |
| Radius | 2.0 R☉ |
| Luminosity | 7 L☉ |
| Temperature | 6,700 K |
| Age | 1.1 Gyr |
| B | |
| Mass | 2 M☉ |
| Radius | 2.0 R☉ |
| Luminosity | 7 L☉ |
| Temperature | 6,700 K |
| Age | 1.1 Gyr |
| Other designations | |
| α Oct, CD−77°1053, CPD−77°1474, FK5 787, GC 29343, HD 199532, HIP 104043, HR 8021, SAO 257879, PPM 374864, LTT 8327, NLTT 50332 | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
Alpha Octantis is a binary star system in the constellation of Octans. The name is Latinized from α Octantis. Despite being labeled the "alpha" star by Lacaille, it is not the brightest star in the constellation—that title belongs to Nu Octantis. It is also the faintest "alpha" star overall, with Alpha Mensae a close second. It is visible to the naked eye as a faint, yellow-white-hued point of light with an overall apparent visual magnitude of approximately 5.13. The system is located approximately 148 light-years away from the Sun based on parallax.
This is a double-lined spectroscopic binary star which consists of two similar main sequence stars, each with spectral type F, orbiting each other with a period of just over 9 days and an eccentricity of 0.39. The pair form a Beta Lyrae-type eclipsing binary system, dropping by magnitude 0.04 during the primary eclipse. This system is a bright X-ray source with a luminosity of 22.78×1029 ergs s−1. The system displays an infrared excess suggesting the presence of a debris disk; with a temperature of 219 K and is orbiting at a distance of 9.8 AU from its host star.