Eta Centauri
Encyclopedia
Eta Centauri is a star
in the constellation
Centaurus
.
It is a rapidly rotating star that completes a full rotation in less than a day. It is also a Be star
, which means it has variable emissions in its hydrogen
spectral lines. Finally it is also slightly variable, and classified as a Gamma Cassiopeiae variable, with multiple periods of variability. It is approximately 309 light years
from Earth
. Eta Centauri is sufficiently large that it is on the dividing line between stars that evolve into white dwarf
s and those that turn into supernovae.
In traditional Chinese astronomy
, Eta Centauri was known as (meaning: the Second (Star) of Koo Low).
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
in the constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
Centaurus
Centaurus
Centaurus is a bright constellation in the southern sky. One of the largest constellations, Centaurus was included among the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations.-Stars:...
.
It is a rapidly rotating star that completes a full rotation in less than a day. It is also a Be star
Be star
A Be star is a B-type star with prominent emission lines of hydrogen in its spectrum. The designation is combined by the spectral class, B, and the lowercase e denoting emission in the spectral classification system. Line emission from other atomic ions might be present as well, but is typically...
, which means it has variable emissions in its hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
spectral lines. Finally it is also slightly variable, and classified as a Gamma Cassiopeiae variable, with multiple periods of variability. It is approximately 309 light years
Light Years
Light Years is the seventh studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It was released on 25 September 2000 by Parlophone and Mushroom Records. The album's style was indicative of her return to "mainstream pop dance tunes"....
from Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. Eta Centauri is sufficiently large that it is on the dividing line between stars that evolve into white dwarf
White dwarf
A white dwarf, also called a degenerate dwarf, is a small star composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. They are very dense; a white dwarf's mass is comparable to that of the Sun and its volume is comparable to that of the Earth. Its faint luminosity comes from the emission of stored...
s and those that turn into supernovae.
In traditional Chinese astronomy
Chinese astronomy
Astronomy in China has a very long history, with historians considering that "they [the Chinese] were the most persistent and accurate observers of celestial phenomena anywhere in the world before the Arabs."...
, Eta Centauri was known as (meaning: the Second (Star) of Koo Low).
External links
- Eta Centauri by Jim Kaler.