1 Centauri

1 Centauri
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation Centaurus
Right ascension 13h 45m 41.24482s
Declination −33° 02 37.3997
Apparent magnitude (V) +4.23
Characteristics
Spectral type F2 V
U−B color index +0.00
B−V color index +0.38
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−21.5±0.6 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −462.49±0.18 mas/yr
Dec.: −146.49±0.16 mas/yr
Parallax (π)51.54±0.19 mas
Distance63.3 ± 0.2 ly
(19.40 ± 0.07 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)+2.81
Orbit
Period (P)9.94480±0.00441 d
Eccentricity (e)0.247±0.105
Periastron epoch (T)2,422,737.382 ± 3.35 JD
Argument of periastron (ω)
(secondary)
137.7±25.4°
Semi-amplitude (K1)
(primary)
6.00±0.75 km/s
Details
Mass1.35 M
Luminosity (bolometric)5.857 L
Surface gravity (log g)4.25±0.14 cgs
Temperature6,898±235 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.09 dex
Rotation2.42±0.22
Rotational velocity (v sin i)86 km/s
Age1.193 Gyr
Other designations
i Centauri, 1 Centauri, CD−32°9603, FK5 506, GC 18593, GJ 525.1, HD 119756, HIP 67153, HR 5168, SAO 204812
Database references
SIMBADdata

1 Centauri, or i Centauri, is a yellow-white-hued binary star system in the southern constellation Centaurus. It can be seen with the naked eye, having an apparent visual magnitude of +4.23. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 51.54 mas as seen from Earth's orbit, it is located 63.3 light-years from the Sun. The system is moving closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of −21.5 km/s.

Spectrographic images taken at the Cape Observatory between 1921 and 1923 showed this star has a variable radial velocity, which indicated this is a single-lined spectroscopic binary star system. The pair have an orbital period of 9.94 days and an eccentricity of about 0.2.

The primary component has received a number of different stellar classifications. For example, Jaschek et al. (1964) lists F0V, F2III, F4III and F4IV, thus ranging in evolutionary state from an ordinary F-type main-sequence star to a giant star. More recently, Houk (1982) listed a class of F3 V, matching an ordinary main-sequence star that is generating energy through hydrogen fusion at its core. The NStars project gives it a classification of F2 V.