Psi Velorum
Encyclopedia
Psi Velorum is a binary star
in the constellation
Vela
. It is approximately 60.5 light years
from Earth
, making it the nearest star of the constellation.
The primary component, Psi Velorum A, is a yellow-white F-type
subgiant with an apparent magnitude
of +4.1. The companion, Psi Velorum B, is a yellow-white F-type main sequence dwarf
, with an apparent magnitude of +4.6. The two stars are 0.68 arcseconds, or at least 12 astronomical unit
s, apart and complete one orbit every 33.99 years.
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...
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....
Vela
Vela (constellation)
Vela is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for the sails of a ship, and it was originally part of a larger constellation, the ship Argo Navis, which was later divided into three parts, the others being Carina and Puppis.-Stars:...
. It is approximately 60.5 light years
Light Years
Light Years is the seventh studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It was released on 25 September 2000 by Parlophone and Mushroom Records. The album's style was indicative of her return to "mainstream pop dance tunes"....
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...
, making it the nearest star of the constellation.
The primary component, Psi Velorum A, is a yellow-white F-type
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...
subgiant with an 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...
of +4.1. The companion, Psi Velorum B, is a yellow-white F-type main sequence dwarf
Main sequence
The main sequence is a continuous and distinctive band of stars that appears on plots of stellar color versus brightness. These color-magnitude plots are known as Hertzsprung–Russell diagrams after their co-developers, Ejnar Hertzsprung and Henry Norris Russell...
, with an apparent magnitude of +4.6. The two stars are 0.68 arcseconds, or at least 12 astronomical unit
Astronomical unit
An astronomical unit is a unit of length equal to about or approximately the mean Earth–Sun distance....
s, apart and complete one orbit every 33.99 years.