Lambda Ceti
Encyclopedia
Lambda Ceti (λ Cet, λ Ceti) is Class B star of fifth-magnitude star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
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....
Cetus
Cetus
Cetus is a constellation. Its name refers to Cetus, a sea monster in Greek mythology, although it is often called 'the whale' today. Cetus is located in the region of the sky that contains other water-related constellations such as Aquarius, Pisces, and Eridanus.-Ecliptic:Although Cetus is not...
. Historically, the star bore the traditional name Menkar, although today that name is more commonly associated with α Ceti
Alpha Ceti
Alpha Ceti is a star in the constellation of Cetus. It has the traditional name Menkar or Menkab. The name Menkar derives from the Arabic word منخر manħar "nostril" ....
.
This star, along with α Cet
Alpha Ceti
Alpha Ceti is a star in the constellation of Cetus. It has the traditional name Menkar or Menkab. The name Menkar derives from the Arabic word منخر manħar "nostril" ....
(Menkar), γ Cet
Gamma Ceti
Gamma Ceti is a star in the constellation Cetus. It has the traditional name Kaffaljidhma. The title Kaffaljidhma was derived from Arabic الكف الجذماء Al Kaff al Jidhmah, "The cut-short hand", the association of this star, along with α Cet , δ Cet, λ Cet , μ Cet, ξ1 Cet and ξ2 Cet..According to...
(Kaffaljidhma), δ Cet
Delta Ceti
Delta Ceti is a Class B2, fourth-magnitude star in the constellation Cetus.This star, along with α Cet , λ Cet , γ Cet , μ Cet, ξ1 Cet and ξ2 Cet were Al Kaff al Jidhmah, "the Part of a Hand".....
, μ Cet, ξ1 Cet and ξ2 Cet were Al Kaff al Jidhmah, "the Part of a Hand"..
In Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, , meaning Circular Celestial Granary
Stomach (Chinese constellation)
The Stomach mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the western mansions of the White Tiger.-Asterisms:...
, refers to an asterism consisting of λ Ceti, α Ceti
Alpha Ceti
Alpha Ceti is a star in the constellation of Cetus. It has the traditional name Menkar or Menkab. The name Menkar derives from the Arabic word منخر manħar "nostril" ....
, κ1 Ceti
Kappa1 Ceti
Kappa1 Ceti is a yellow dwarf star approximately 30 light-years away in the constellation of Cetus. The star was discovered to have a rapid rotation, roughly once every nine days. Though there are no extrasolar planets confirmed to be orbiting the star, Kappa1 Ceti is considered a good candidate...
, μ Ceti, ξ1 Ceti, ξ2 Ceti, ν Ceti, γ Ceti
Gamma Ceti
Gamma Ceti is a star in the constellation Cetus. It has the traditional name Kaffaljidhma. The title Kaffaljidhma was derived from Arabic الكف الجذماء Al Kaff al Jidhmah, "The cut-short hand", the association of this star, along with α Cet , δ Cet, λ Cet , μ Cet, ξ1 Cet and ξ2 Cet..According to...
, δ Ceti
Delta Ceti
Delta Ceti is a Class B2, fourth-magnitude star in the constellation Cetus.This star, along with α Cet , λ Cet , γ Cet , μ Cet, ξ1 Cet and ξ2 Cet were Al Kaff al Jidhmah, "the Part of a Hand".....
, 75 Ceti, 70 Ceti, 63 Ceti and 66 Ceti. Consequently, λ Ceti itself is known as
Properties
Lambda Ceti is a blue giant starGiant 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...
with stellar classification
Stellar classification
In astronomy, stellar classification is a classification of stars based on their spectral characteristics. The spectral class of a star is a designated class of a star describing the ionization of its chromosphere, what atomic excitations are most prominent in the light, giving an objective measure...
B6III. With a mass between 4.5-4.8M☉
Solar mass
The solar mass , , is a standard unit of mass in astronomy, used to indicate the masses of other stars and galaxies...
and an estimated radius that is 5.4R☉, the star radiates a bolometric
Bolometer
A bolometer is a device for measuring the power of incident electromagnetic radiation via the heating of a material with a temperature-dependent electrical resistance. It was invented in 1878 by the American astronomer Samuel Pierpont Langley...
luminosity of about 920 L☉. In 1997 the Hipparcos
Hipparcos
Hipparcos was a scientific mission of the European Space Agency , launched in 1989 and operated between 1989 and 1993. It was the first space experiment devoted to precision astrometry, the accurate measurement of the positions of celestial objects on the sky...
satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
estimated its parallax
Parallax
Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight, and is measured by the angle or semi-angle of inclination between those two lines. The term is derived from the Greek παράλλαξις , meaning "alteration"...
at 7.69 ± 0.76 milliarcseconds yielding a distance from 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...
of about 130 ± 10 parsec
Parsec
The parsec is a unit of length used in astronomy. It is about 3.26 light-years, or just under 31 trillion kilometres ....
s or 420 ± 40 light years. However recent astrometric calculations by van Leeuwen have placed the distance much farther at about 177 ± 7 pc
Parsec
The parsec is a unit of length used in astronomy. It is about 3.26 light-years, or just under 31 trillion kilometres ....
or 580 ± 20 ly—a revaluation which significantly altered other stellar parameters. Its apparent magnitude
Apparent magnitude
The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...
has been recently recalibrated at 4.6767 yielding an absolute magnitude
Absolute magnitude
Absolute magnitude is the measure of a celestial object's intrinsic brightness. it is also the apparent magnitude a star would have if it were 32.6 light years away from Earth...
of -1.56, almost as bright as its neighbor Alpha Ceti
Alpha Ceti
Alpha Ceti is a star in the constellation of Cetus. It has the traditional name Menkar or Menkab. The name Menkar derives from the Arabic word منخر manħar "nostril" ....
at -1.62.
See also
- Lists of stars in the constellation CetusCetusCetus is a constellation. Its name refers to Cetus, a sea monster in Greek mythology, although it is often called 'the whale' today. Cetus is located in the region of the sky that contains other water-related constellations such as Aquarius, Pisces, and Eridanus.-Ecliptic:Although Cetus is not...
- Class B Stars
- Giant starGiant starA 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...
External links
- Jim Kaler's Stars, University of Illinois: LAMBDA CET (Lambda Ceti, the former "Menkar")