Kappa Centauri is a binary star

Binary star

A binary star is a star system consisting of two stars orbiting around their common center of mass. The brighter star is called the primary and the other is its companion star, comes, or secondary...

 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 approximately 540 light years from the 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...

.

In Chinese

Chinese language

The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...

, , meaning Imperial Guards

Root (Chinese constellation)

The Root mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the eastern mansions of the Azure Dragon.-Asterisms:...

, refers to an asterism consisting of κ Centauri, γ Lupi

Gamma Lupi

Gamma Lupi is a 3rd-magnitude, B-type blue giant star in the constellation of Lupus. It is also known in ancient Chinese astronomy as 騎官一 or "the 1st of the Cavalry Officer". With a telescope, Gamma Lupi can be resolved into a binary star system in close orbit. This is known as the Gamma Lupi AB...

, δ Lupi

Delta Lupi

Delta Lupi is a blue-white subgiant B-type, 3rd-magnitude star in the constellation Lupus.It is 騎官二, "the 2nd of the Cavalry Officer", in traditional Chinese astronomy....

, β Lupi

Beta Lupi

Beta Lupi is a B-type, 3rd-magnitude star in the constellation Lupus.In Chinese, , meaning Imperial Guards, refers to an asterism consisting of β Lupi, γ Lupi, δ Lupi, κ Centauri, λ Lupi, ε Lupi, μ Lup, π Lupi, ο Lupi and α Lupi. Consequently, β Lupi itself is known as...

, λ Lupi, ε Lupi, μ Lup, π Lupi

Pi Lupi

π Lupi is a star in a double system.-References:*...

, ο Lupi and α Lupi

Alpha Lupi

Alpha Lupi is the brightest star in the constellation Lupus.In Chinese, , meaning Imperial Guards, refers to an asterism consisting of α Lupi, γ Lupi, δ Lupi, κ Centauri, β Lupi, λ Lupi, ε Lupi, μ Lup, π Lupi and ο Lupi . Consequently, α Lupi itself is known as .R. H...

. Consequently, κ Centauri itself is known as . From this Chinese name, the name Ke Kwan was appeared.

The primary component, κ Centauri A, is a blue-white B-type

Stellar classification

In astronomy, stellar classification is a classification of stars based on their spectral characteristics. The spectral class of a star is a designated class of a star describing the ionization of its chromosphere, what atomic excitations are most prominent in the light, giving an objective measure...

 subgiant with an apparent magnitude

Apparent magnitude

The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...

 of +3.13. It is a spectroscopic binary and has a companion located 0.12 arcseconds away.