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4 Centauri

Star in the constellation Centaurus

Summary

Star in the constellation Centaurus

| b-v = −0.14 | u-b = −0.56 | b-v2 = +0.30 | u-b2 = +0.10 4 Centauri is a multiple star in the constellation Centaurus, approximately 640 light years from Earth. It has a combined apparent magnitude of +4.71. The primary is a blue-white B-type subgiant with a spectroscopic companion, while the secondary is an Am star also with a spectroscopic companion.

4 Centauri is a hierarchical quadruple star system. The primary component of the system, 4 Centauri A, is a spectroscopic binary, meaning that its components cannot be resolved but periodic Doppler shifts in its spectrum show that it must be orbiting. 4 Centauri A has an orbital period of 6.927 days and an eccentricity of 0.23. Because light from only one of the stars can be detected (i.e. it is a single-lined spectroscopic binary), some parameters such as its inclination are unknown. The secondary component, is also a single-lined spectroscopic binary. It has an orbital period of 4.839 days and an eccentricity of 0.05. The secondary component is a metallic-lined A-type star. The two pairs themselves are separated by 14 arcseconds; one orbit would take at least 55,000 years.

References

References

  1. (2001). "The 2001 US Naval Observatory Double Star CD-ROM. I. The Washington Double Star Catalog". The Astronomical Journal.
  2. (1978). "Catalogue of homogeneous data in the UBV photoelectric photometric system". Astronomy and Astrophysics.
  3. (2014). "Sloan Magnitudes for the Brightest Stars". Journal of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (Jaavso).
  4. (2009). "Catalogue of Ap, HGMN and Am stars". Astronomy and Astrophysics.
  5. (1967). "The Revision of the General Catalogue of Radial Velocities". Determination of Radial Velocities and Their Applications.
  6. {{cite Gaia DR3. 6171681877649374080
  7. {{cite Gaia DR3. 6171681881946274304
  8. (2025). "A census of OB stars within 1 KPC and the star formation and core collapse supernova rates of the Milky Way". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
  9. (2018). "Variability Properties of Four Million Sources in the TESS Input Catalog Observed with the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope Survey". The Astronomical Journal.
  10. (2011). "A catalogue of young runaway Hipparcos stars within 3 KPC from the Sun". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
  11. (2019). "The Revised TESS Input Catalog and Candidate Target List". The Astronomical Journal.
  12. "* 4 Cen".
  13. "* 4 Cen A".
  14. "* 4 Cen B".
  15. (2022). "Catalogue of stars measured in the Geneva seven-colour photometric system". Astronomy and Astrophysics.
  16. Paddock, G. F.. (1917). "The Spectroscopic Binary H 4 Centauri". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
  17. (1987). "Stellar multiplicity in the Scorpius-Centaurus association". Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series.
  18. {{cite XHIP. 67786
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centaurus b-type-subgiants bayer-objects flamsteed-objects spectroscopic-binaries multiple-star-systems bright-star-catalogue-objects henry-draper-catalogue-objects hipparcos-objects durchmusterung-objects am-stars a-type-main-sequence-stars
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