D Centauri
Multiple star in the constellation Centaurus
title: "D Centauri" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["k-type-giants", "double-stars", "bayer-objects", "centaurus", "durchmusterung-objects", "henry-draper-catalogue-objects", "hipparcos-objects", "bright-star-catalogue-objects"] description: "Multiple star in the constellation Centaurus" topic_path: "science/astronomy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D_Centauri" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Multiple star in the constellation Centaurus ::
| name = D Centauri | epoch = J2000.0 | constell = Centaurus | ra = | dec = | appmag_v = +5.31 (5.78 + 6.98) | type = | class = K3III (K4IIIab + K2IIIb) | b-v = /1.21 | u-b = +1.82/1.19 | variable = | component1 = A | radial_v = | prop_mo_ra = −37.186 | prop_mo_dec = 6.606 | parallax = 5.3350 | p_error = 0.1399 | parallax_footnote = | absmag_v = −0.88 | component2 = B | radial_v2 = | prop_mo_ra2 = −33.604 | prop_mo_dec2 = 5.434 | parallax2 = 4.9297 | p_error2 = 0.0550 | parallax_footnote2 = | absmag_v2 = | component1 = A | mass = | radius = | luminosity = | gravity = | temperature = | metal_fe = | rotation = | age_myr = | rotational_velocity = | component2 = B | radius2 = | luminosity2 = | temperature2 = | names = | Simbad = HD+106321
D Centauri is a double star in the southern constellation of Centaurus. The system is faintly visible to the naked eye as a point of light with a combined apparent magnitude of +5.31; the two components are of magnitude 5.78 and 6.98, respectively. It is located at a distance of approximately 610 light years from the Sun based on parallax, and is drifting further away with a radial velocity of ~10 km/s.
The dual nature of this star was announced by C. Rumker in 1837. As of 2015, the pair had an angular separation of along a position angle of 242°. This orange-hued double has a combined stellar classification of K3III, matching an aging giant star that has exhausted the supply of hydrogen at its core. In 1984, C. J. Corbally found a class of K4IIIab for the primary and K2IIIb for the fainter secondary.
References
References
- {{Cite Gaia DR2. 6143569843526877056
- {{Cite Gaia DR2. 6143569843526876928
- {{cite XHIP. 59654
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::