Delta Ceti

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title: "Delta Ceti" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["b-type-main-sequence-stars", "beta-cephei-variables", "bayer-objects", "cetus", "durchmusterung-objects", "flamsteed-objects", "henry-draper-catalogue-objects", "hipparcos-objects", "bright-star-catalogue-objects"] description: "Star in the constellation Cetus" topic_path: "science/astronomy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Ceti" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Star in the constellation Cetus ::

| image= | image=Cetus_IAU.svg | float=center | width=280 | position=right | mark=Red circle.svg | mark_width=10 | mark_link=δ Cet | x%=33.6 | y%=27.8 | caption=Location of δ Ceti (circled) | epoch = J2000.0 | constell = Cetus | ra = | dec = | appmag_v = +4.06 | type = main sequence | class = B2 IV | b-v = −0.21 | u-b = −0.88 | variable = β Cep | radial_v = | prop_mo_ra = | prop_mo_dec = | parallax = 5.02 | p_error = 0.15 | parallax_footnote = | absmag_v = −2.41 | reference = | period = | axis_unitless = | eccentricity = | inclination =
| periastron = | periarg_primary = | component1 = δ Cet A | mass = 7.9 | radius = | luminosity = | gravity = | temperature = | rotational_velocity = | metal_fe = −0.24 | age_myr = 7−18 | component2 = δ Cet B | mass2 = | luminosity2 =
| names= | Simbad=del+Cet

Delta Ceti, Latinized from δ Ceti, is a likely binary star in the equatorial constellation of Cetus. The star's apparent visual magnitude of +4.06 means it is generally visible to the naked eye except in places highly affected to light pollution (see Bortle scale). It is north of the celestial equator compared to the celestial north pole's . The star is positioned about WNW of the spiral galaxy M77, but which at apparent magnitude 9.6 needs magnification to be made out and has an apparent size of only by .

Based upon an annual parallax shift of as seen from Earth, it is around from the Sun. Motion relative to our system's trajectory includes a highly parting vector: with a net radial velocity of about . It moves minutely across the celestial sphere – yet just over four times more in right ascension than in declination.

Characteristics

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/DeltaCetLightCurve.png" caption="TESS]]'' data"] ::

Delta Ceti is a Beta Cephei variable with a stellar classification of B2 IV. It varies in brightness with a period of 0.16114 days. Unlike most stars of its type, it does not display multiple periods of luminosity variation or multiple variations of its spectral line profiles.

The star is about 7−18 million years old and has a low projected rotational velocity of around , suggesting it is either rotating slowly or is being viewed from nearly pole on. It has 7.9 times the mass of the Sun and 4.9 times the Sun's radius. The star is radiating around 5,100 times the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of roughly . Models show that it is nearing the end of its main sequence life.

Historical observations together with radial velocity measurements from 2014 to 2018 indicate the presence of an orbiting companion with a mass of at least , an orbital period of 169 years and a semi-major axis between 69 and 157 astronomical units. Astrometric measurements indicate that the companion's true mass is if its semi-major axis is 60 AU, and it has not been detected in the spectrum, implying a mass less than if it is a main sequence star.

Name

This star, along with α Cet (Menkar), λ Cet (Menkar), γ Cet (Kaffaljidhma), μ Cet, ξ1 Cet and ξ2 Cet were Al Kaff al Jidhmah, "the Part of a Hand".

According to the catalogue of stars in the Technical Memorandum 33-507 - A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars, Al Kaff al Jidhmah were the title for five stars :γ Cet as Kaffaljidhma, ξ1 Cet as Al Kaff al Jidhmah I, ξ2 Cet as Al Kaff al Jidhmah II, δ Cet as Al Kaff al Jidhmah III and μ Cet as Al Kaff al Jidhmah IV (exclude α Cet and λ Cet.)

In Chinese, 天囷 (Tiān Qūn), meaning Circular Celestial Granary, refers to an asterism consisting of δ Ceti, α Ceti, κ1 Ceti, λ Ceti, μ Ceti, ξ1 Ceti, ξ2 Ceti, ν Ceti, γ Ceti, 75 Ceti, 70 Ceti, 63 Ceti and 66 Ceti. Consequently, the Chinese name for δ Ceti itself is 天囷九 (Tiān Qūn jiǔ, .)

References

| title=MAST: Barbara A. Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes | url=https://mast.stsci.edu/portal/Mashup/Clients/Mast/Portal.html | publisher=Space Telescope Science Institute |access-date=8 December 2021}}

| title=XHIP: An extended hipparcos compilation | last1=Anderson | first1=E. | last2=Francis | first2=Ch. | journal=Astronomy Letters | volume=38 | issue=5 | pages=331 | year=2012 | bibcode=2012AstL...38..331A | doi=10.1134/S1063773712050015 | arxiv=1108.4971 | s2cid=119257644 }}

| first1=Hilding R. | last1=Neilson | first2=Richard | last2=Ignace | title=Period change and stellar evolution of β Cephei stars | journal=Astronomy & Astrophysics | volume=584 | id=A58 | pages=6 | date=December 2015 | doi=10.1051/0004-6361/201526836 | bibcode=2015A&A...584A..58N | arxiv=1509.05433| s2cid=55220550 }}

| last1=de Bruijne | first1=J. H. J. | last2=Eilers | first2=A.-C. | title=Radial velocities for the HIPPARCOS-Gaia Hundred-Thousand-Proper-Motion project | journal=Astronomy & Astrophysics | volume=546 | id=A61 | pages=14 | date=October 2012 | doi=10.1051/0004-6361/201219219 | bibcode=2012A&A...546A..61D | arxiv=1208.3048 | s2cid=59451347 }}

| title=New magnetic field measurements of beta Cephei stars and Slowly Pulsating B stars | last1=Hubrig | first1=S. | last2=Briquet | first2=M. | last3=De Cat | first3=P. | last4=Schoeller | first4=M. | last5=Morel | first5=T. | last6=Ilyin | first6=I. | display-authors=1 | journal=Astronomische Nachrichten | volume=330 | issue=4 | page=317 |date=January 2009 | bibcode=2009AN....330..317H | arxiv=0902.1314 | doi=10.1002/asna.200811187 | s2cid=17497112 }}

| title=Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction | last1=van Leeuwen | first1=F. | journal=Astronomy and Astrophysics | volume=474 | issue=2 | pages=653–664 | year=2007 | arxiv=0708.1752 | bibcode=2007A&A...474..653V | doi=10.1051/0004-6361:20078357 | s2cid=18759600 }}Vizier catalog entry

| last1=Johnson | first1=H. L. | last2=Mitchell | first2=R. I. | last3=Iriarte | first3=B. | last4=Wisniewski | first4=W. Z. | title=UBVRIJKL photometry of the bright stars | journal=Communications of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory | volume=4 | issue=99 | date=1966 | page=99 | bibcode=1966CoLPL...4...99J }}

| title=Multiwavelength studies of β Cephei stars: δ Ceti | last1=Cugier | first1=H. | last2=Nowak | first2=D. | journal=Astronomy and Astrophysics | volume=326 | pages=620–628 | date=October 1997 | bibcode=1997A&A...326..620C }}

References

1. (2014). "Fundamental properties of nearby single early B-type stars". Astronomy and Astrophysics.
2. Śreniawska, E.. (December 2021). "Over a Century of δ Ceti Variability Investigation". Acta Astronomica.
3. [https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19720005197_1972005197.pdf Jack W. Rhoads - ''Technical Memorandum 33-507-A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars'', Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology; November 15, 1971]
4. [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Topics/astronomy/_Texts/secondary/ALLSTA/Cetus*.html Star Name - R.H. Allen p.160]
5. {{in lang. zh [http://aeea.nmns.edu.tw/2006/0607/ap060711.html AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 7 月 11 日] {{Webarchive. link. (2012-02-04)

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