Rho Fornacis
| Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Fornax |
| Right ascension | 03h 47m 56.04033s |
| Declination | −30° 10′ 4.3781″ |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +5.452 |
| Characteristics | |
| Evolutionary stage | red giant branch |
| Spectral type | G6III |
| U−B color index | +0.66 |
| B−V color index | +0.98 |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | 51.03±0.12 km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: +25.932 mas/yr Dec.: −231.4 mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 11.5326±0.0512 mas |
| Distance | 283 ± 1 ly (86.7 ± 0.4 pc) |
| Details | |
| Mass | 1.16±0.10 – 1.24±0.11 M☉ |
| Radius | 10.192±0.201 R☉ |
| Luminosity | 50.28±1.10 L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 2.43±0.06 cgs |
| Temperature | 4,815±52 K |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | −0.34±0.02 dex |
| Age | 3.9±1.0 – 4.67±1.03 Gyr |
| Other designations | |
| ρ For, CD−30°1497, FK5 2272, HD 23940, HIP 17738, HR 1184, SAO 194535 | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
Rho Fornacis (ρ For) is a star of apparent magnitude +5.45 in the constellation of Fornax, the furnace. Its distance from Earth, according to stellar parallax measurements taken by the Gaia spacecraft, is 283 light-years.
Rho Fornacis is a yellow-orange giant of spectral type G6III with an effective temperature of 4,815±4,815 K - similar, though somewhat hotter, than β Fornacis and π Fornacis, stars also in Fornax. The radius of Rho Fornacis is over 10 larger than the solar radius but its mass is only a few percent greater than that of the Sun. Its age is estimated at between three and five billion years.
Rho Fornacis is a thick disk star, unlike most stars in our environment. Arcturus (α Boötis) and ε Fornacis, the latter in this same constellation, are examples of thick disk stars. The eccentricity of its orbit around the Galactic Center (e = 0.56) is considerably greater than that of the Sun (e = 0.16), star of the thin disk. Consequently, it shows a low metallicity—relative abundance of elements heavier than helium—, less than half that of the solar ([Fe/H] = -0.34). Elements such as aluminum, calcium and sodium are equally deficient. As in other similar stars, the oxygen/iron ratio is higher than in the Sun ([O/H] = 0.33).