HD 119921

HD 119921
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Centaurus
Right ascension 13h 46m 56.35149s
Declination −36° 15 06.9563
Apparent magnitude (V) 5.15
Characteristics
Spectral type A0 V or B9.5 III-n
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−9.8±2.8 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −13.293 mas/yr
Dec.: −11.115 mas/yr
Parallax (π)7.7881±0.2382 mas
Distance420 ± 10 ly
(128 ± 4 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)−0.48
Details
Mass2.6 M
Radius4.1 R
Luminosity160 L
Surface gravity (log g)3.62 cgs
Temperature10,102 K
Rotational velocity (v sin i)220 km/s
Age337 Myr
Other designations
z Cen, CD−35°8995, FK5 3091, HD 119921, HIP 67244, HR 5174, SAO 204835, WDS J13469-3615A
Database references
SIMBADdata

HD 119921 is a single, white-hued star in the southern constellation of Centaurus. it has the Bayer designation z Centauri. This is faintly visible to the naked eye, having an apparent visual magnitude of 5.15. It forms a wide double star with a faint, magnitude 12.50 visual companion, which is located at an angular separation of 27.20 as of 2010. HD 119921 is moving closer to us with a heliocentric radial velocity of around −10 km/s, and is currently located some 420±10 light year from the Sun. At that distance, the visual magnitude of this star is diminished by 0.15 from extinction due to interstellar dust.

This is an A-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of A0 V, per Houk (1979). However, Gray & Garrison (1987) have it classed as B9.5 III-n, suggesting it is a more evolved giant star. HD 119921 is spinning rapidly with a projected rotational velocity of 220 km/s. The star is radiating around 160 times the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 10,102 K.

In 1983, Molaro et al. reported the presence of super-ionized elements (triple-ionized carbon and silicon) in the far ultraviolet spectrum of HD 119921. These anomalous features are not normally detected from a star in this temperature range. Instead, these blue-shifted absorption features may originate in the local interstellar medium.