K Centauri is a possible binary star in the southern constellation of Centaurus. It has a white hue and is bright enough to be visible to the naked eye, having an apparent visual magnitude of +5.04.
| Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Right ascension | 13h 29m 25.25471s[1] |
| Declination | −51° 09′ 54.5048″[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +5.04[2] |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | A1V[3] |
| U−B color index | +0.07 |
| B−V color index | +0.059±0.003[2] |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | −2.0±4.2[2] km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: -2.094[1] mas/yr Dec.: -5.548[1] mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 7.9861 ± 0.2224 mas[1] |
| Distance | 410 ± 10 ly (125 ± 3 pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | −0.91[2] |
| Details | |
| Mass | 3.128[4] M☉ |
| Radius | 6.635[5] R☉ |
| Luminosity | 248[5] L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 2.982[5] cgs |
| Temperature | 9,167[5] K |
| Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 220.4±2.4[6] km/s |
| Other designations | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
K Centauri is located at a distance of approximately 410 light years from the Sun based on parallax, and it has an absolute magnitude of −0.91.[2] This is an ordinary A-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of A1V.[3] It is spinning rapidly with a projected rotational velocity of 220 km/s,[6] which is giving it a pronounced equatorial bulge that is 25% larger than the polar radius.[8]
Analysis of Hipparcos and Gaia astrometry suggests that the relatively large margins of error in the calculated parallax may be due to orbital motion caused by an unseen companion. The companion would be an 81 MJ object orbiting at about 2 AU.[4]