63 Ceti
| Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Right ascension | 02h 11m 35.83534s |
| Declination | −01° 49′ 31.5355″ |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +5.93 |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | K0III |
| U−B color index | +0.70 |
| B−V color index | +0.97 |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | 27.69±0.05 km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: −11.526 mas/yr Dec.: −32.007 mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 8.4943±0.0610 mas |
| Distance | 384 ± 3 ly (117.7 ± 0.8 pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | 0.57 |
| Details | |
| Mass | 1.85 M☉ |
| Radius | 11.08+0.33 −0.54 R☉ |
| Luminosity | 63.7±0.6 L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 2.59 cgs |
| Temperature | 4940 K |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | −0.17 ± 0.06 dex |
| Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 1.27 km/s |
| Age | 990±50 Myr |
| Other designations | |
| 63 Cet, BD−02°375, HD 13468, HIP 10234, HR 639, SAO 129739 | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
63 Ceti is a star in the constellation of Cetus, located just over a degree south of the celestial equator. With an apparent magnitude of about 5.9, the star is barely visible to the naked eye (see Bortle scale) as a dim, orange-hued point of light. Parallax estimates put it at a distance of about 390 light years (129 parsecs) away from the Earth, and it is drifting further away with a radial velocity of 28 km/s.
63 Ceti has a spectral type of K0III, implying an aging K-type giant star. These types of stars are generally reddish-colored stars with spectral types from K to M, with radii that are 10 to 100 times larger than the Sun. 63 Ceti fits this description, with a radius about 11 times larger than the Sun, a mass of about 1.85 times the Sun, and an effective temperature of 4940 K. 63 Ceti is a red clump giant, indicating it is currently at the horizontal branch, a stage in stellar evolution, and is generating energy through core helium fusion. It is close to a billion years old and is radiating 64 times the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 4,940 K.