Tau8 Eridani

τ8 Eridani

A light curve for Tau8 Eridani, plotted from TESS data
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation Eridanus
Right ascension 03h 53m 42.70302s
Declination −24° 36 44.0309
Apparent magnitude (V) 4.63 - 4.65
Characteristics
Spectral type B6 V
U−B color index −0.48
B−V color index −0.13
Variable type SPB
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)+23 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: +31.28 mas/yr
Dec.: −7.49 mas/yr
Parallax (π)8.65±0.30 mas
Distance380 ± 10 ly
(116 ± 4 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)−0.67
Orbit
Period (P)454.0±0.1 d
Eccentricity (e)0.21±0.01
Periastron epoch (T)2450497±3 JD
Argument of periastron (ω)
(secondary)
106±3°
Semi-amplitude (K1)
(primary)
22.3±0.3 km/s
Details
τ8 Eri A
Mass5.0±0.1 M
Luminosity256 L
Surface gravity (log g)4.00 cgs
Temperature11,858 K
Rotational velocity (v sin i)30 km/s
Age32.8±9.9 Myr
Other designations
τ8 Eridani, τ8 Eri, 33 Eridani, CD−24°1945, HD 24587, HIP 18216, HR 1213, SAO 168925
Database references
SIMBADdata

Tau8 Eridani, Latinized from τ8 Eridani, is a binary star system in the constellation Eridanus. It is visible to the naked eye with a combined apparent visual magnitude of 4.65. The distance to this system can be estimated via the parallax method, yielding a value of around 380 light years.

This is a single-lined spectroscopic binary star system with an orbital period of about 454 days and an eccentricity of 0.21. The primary component is a B-type main sequence star with a stellar classification of B6 V. Gautier Mathys et al. announced that the star is variable, in 1986. It is a slowly pulsating B-type star that undergoes radial-velocity variation with a frequency of 1.1569 times per day. The star has about five times the mass of the Sun and shines with 256 times the Sun's luminosity. The outer atmosphere has an effective temperature of 11,858 K and may possess a longitudinal magnetic field with a strength of −140±71 G.