Zeta Leonis
Encyclopedia
Zeta Leonis is a fourth-magnitude star
in the constellation
Leo
. It has the traditional name Adhafera (Aldhafera, Adhafara), from the Arabic
الضفيرة al-ðafīrah "the braid/curl", a reference clearly to its position in the lion's mane.
F0III. Its apparent magnitude
is +3.44 making it a relatively faint star. Nevertheless, it shines with 207 times greater luminosity than the Sun. With 3 times the Sun's mass, Adhafera will have a relatively short lifespan and leave the main sequence approximately one million years from now when it evolves into an orange K Class giant. The Hipparcos
satellite has estimated the distance of Adhafera at 80 parsec
s from Earth
, or 260 light years away.
with an apparent magnitude of 5.90. Known as 35 Leo
, it has a position angle
of 340 degrees and is separated from the main star Adhafera by 325.9 arcseconds. The two stars do not form a binary
system
as 35 Leo is only 100 light years from Earth.
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....
Leo
Leo (constellation)
Leo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for lion. Its symbol is . Leo lies between dim Cancer to the west and Virgo to the east.-Stars:...
. It has the traditional name Adhafera (Aldhafera, Adhafara), from the Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
الضفيرة al-ðafīrah "the braid/curl", a reference clearly to its position in the lion's mane.
Properties
Adhafera is a rare F Class giant star with stellar classificationStellar 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...
F0III. Its 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...
is +3.44 making it a relatively faint star. Nevertheless, it shines with 207 times greater luminosity than the Sun. With 3 times the Sun's mass, Adhafera will have a relatively short lifespan and leave the main sequence approximately one million years from now when it evolves into an orange K Class giant. The Hipparcos
Hipparcos
Hipparcos was a scientific mission of the European Space Agency , launched in 1989 and operated between 1989 and 1993. It was the first space experiment devoted to precision astrometry, the accurate measurement of the positions of celestial objects on the sky...
satellite has estimated the distance of Adhafera at 80 parsec
Parsec
The parsec is a unit of length used in astronomy. It is about 3.26 light-years, or just under 31 trillion kilometres ....
s 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...
, or 260 light years away.
Optical double
Adhafera has a visual doubleDouble star
In observational astronomy, a double star is a pair of stars that appear close to each other in the sky as seen from Earth when viewed through an optical telescope. This can happen either because the pair forms a binary star, i.e...
with an apparent magnitude of 5.90. Known as 35 Leo
Flamsteed designation
Flamsteed designations for stars are similar to Bayer designations, except that they use numbers instead of Greek letters. Each star is assigned a number and the Latin genitive of the constellation it lies in...
, it has a position angle
Position angle
Position angle, usually abbreviated PA, is a measurement derived from observing visual binary stars. It is defined as the angular offset in degrees of the secondary star to the primary, relative to the north celestial pole....
of 340 degrees and is separated from the main star Adhafera by 325.9 arcseconds. The two stars do not form a binary
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...
system
Star system
A star system or stellar system is a small number of stars which orbit each other, bound by gravitational attraction. A large number of stars bound by gravitation is generally called a star cluster or galaxy, although, broadly speaking, they are also star systems.-Binary star systems:A stellar...
as 35 Leo is only 100 light years from Earth.
See also
- Lists of stars in the constellation Leo
- Class F Stars
- Double starDouble starIn observational astronomy, a double star is a pair of stars that appear close to each other in the sky as seen from Earth when viewed through an optical telescope. This can happen either because the pair forms a binary star, i.e...
External links
- Jim Kaler's Stars, University of Illinois:ADHAFERA (Zeta Leonis)