Beta Pyxidis
Encyclopedia
Beta Pyxidis is a binary star
system located in the constellation
Pyxis
. It is an estimated 390 light years from the Earth
. The spectrum matches a giant star
of spectral class G7Ib-II. It is a young disk star
system with space velocity components, U = −11.0, V = +11.8 and W = −2.2 km/s.
Binary star
A binary star is a star system consisting of two stars orbiting around their common center of mass. The brighter star is called the primary and the other is its companion star, comes, or secondary...
system located in the constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
Pyxis
Pyxis
Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for a mariner's compass...
. It is an estimated 390 light years from the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. The spectrum matches a giant star
Giant star
A giant star is a star with substantially larger radius and luminosity than a main sequence star of the same surface temperature. Typically, giant stars have radii between 10 and 100 solar radii and luminosities between 10 and 1,000 times that of the Sun. Stars still more luminous than giants are...
of spectral class G7Ib-II. It is a young disk star
Metallicity
In astronomy and physical cosmology, the metallicity of an object is the proportion of its matter made up of chemical elements other than hydrogen and helium...
system with space velocity components, U = −11.0, V = +11.8 and W = −2.2 km/s.