Alpha Antliae
Alpha Antliae (Alpha Ant, α Antliae, α Ant) is the brightest star in the constellation of Antlia but it has not been given a proper name. It is approximately 320 light-years from the Solar System. It is a K-type giant star with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.25. This star has 2.2 times the mass of the Sun and has expanded to 41 times the solar radius. Compared to the Sun, it has only 41% of the abundance of elements other than hydrogen and helium.
Location of α Antliae to the upper left of center | |
| Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS) | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Antlia |
| Right ascension | 10h 27m 09.10313s |
| Declination | −31° 04′ 03.9830″ |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 4.25 (4.22 to 4.29) |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | K4 III |
| U−B color index | +1.63 |
| B−V color index | +1.45 |
| R−I color index | +0.79 |
| Variable type | Suspected |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | 12.2 ± 2 km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: −83.34±0.49 mas/yr Dec.: +8.27±0.48 mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 10.0734 ± 0.3348 mas |
| Distance | 320 ± 10 ly (99 ± 3 pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | −0.97 |
| Details | |
| Mass | 2.2 M☉ |
| Radius | 41 R☉ |
| Luminosity (bolometric) | 412 L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 1.77 cgs |
| Temperature | 4,070 K |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | -0.39 dex |
| Other designations | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
α Antliae has been reported to vary in brightness between magnitude 4.22 and 4.29, first in 1879 by Benjamin Gould, but this has not been confirmed in modern times. The evolutionary state of α Antliae isn't clear but it is suspected of being on the asymptotic giant branch, with an inert carbon core.