Beta Phoenicis
| Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Phoenix |
| Right ascension | 01h 06m 05.03952s |
| Declination | −46° 43′ 06.2785″ |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 3.30 (4.10 / 4.19) |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | G8III + G8III: |
| Astrometry | |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: −80.81 mas/yr Dec.: +34.97 mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 17.63±2.09 mas |
| Distance | approx. 190 ly (approx. 57 pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | 0.29 |
| Orbit | |
| Period (P) | 170.7±5.0 yr |
| Semi-major axis (a) | 0.946±0.016″ |
| Eccentricity (e) | 0.718±0.016 |
| Inclination (i) | 144.0±1.5° |
| Longitude of the node (Ω) | 126.4±3.5° |
| Periastron epoch (T) | 2003.41±0.10 |
| Argument of periastron (ω) (secondary) | 293.5±4.4° |
| Details | |
| Mass | 2.7–3 M☉ |
| Radius | ~14/~14 R☉ |
| Luminosity | ~100/~100 L☉ |
| Temperature | 5,090 K |
| Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 11.4±0.6 km/s |
| Other designations | |
| CD−47 324, HD 6595, HIP 5165, HR 322, SAO 215365. | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
Beta Phoenicis (β Phoenicis, β Phe) is a binary star in the constellation Phoenix. Its apparent magnitude is 3.30, meaning that it can be seen with the naked eye (see Bortle scale).
The distance to Beta Phoenicis is poorly known. The original reduction of the Hipparcos satellite's data yielded a parallax value of 16 milliarcseconds, yet its standard error was larger than the parallax value itself. An individual note in the Hipparcos catalogue provided a more likely parallax of 17.63±2.09 mas, corresponding to a distance of 185±22 light-years, consistent with the expected distance implied by the absolute visual magnitude of a G8 giant. The new reduction of the Hipparcos data gave 0.12 ± 14.62 milliarcseconds, still unusable. The General Catalogue of Trigonometric Parallaxes, an older catalogue of ground-based parallaxes, lists the parallax as 20 ± 16 milliarcseconds, corresponding to about 200 light-years (61 pc).
Beta Phoenicis is a relatively wide visual binary consisting of two G-type giant stars, both with spectral types of G8III. The two orbit each other every 170.7 years and have a relatively eccentric orbit. The stars are separated by almost one arcsecond.