Pleione (star)
Binary star in the Pleiades star cluster / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Pleione[note 1] is a binary star and the seventh-brightest star in the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45). It has the variable star designation BU Tauri (BU Tau) and the Flamsteed designation 28 Tauri (28 Tau). The star is located approximately 138 parsecs (450 light-years) from the Sun, appearing in the constellation of Taurus. Pleione is located close on the sky to the brighter star Atlas, so is difficult for stargazers to distinguish with the naked eye despite being a fifth magnitude star.
Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
---|---|
Constellation | Taurus |
Right ascension | 03h 49m 11.2166s[1] |
Declination | 24° 08′ 12.157″[1] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 4.77 - 5.50[2] |
Characteristics | |
Evolutionary stage | Main sequence |
Spectral type | B8Vne[3] |
B−V color index | −0.08[4] |
Variable type | γ Cas[2] |
Astrometry | |
Radial velocity (Rv) | 5.10[5] km/s |
Proper motion (μ) | RA: 19.496[1] mas/yr Dec.: −47.650[1] mas/yr |
Parallax (π) | 7.2414 ± 0.1255 mas[1] |
Distance | 450 ± 8 ly (138 ± 2 pc) |
Absolute magnitude (MV) | −0.347[6] |
Details | |
Mass | 2.888[7] M☉ |
Radius | 3.701[7] R☉ |
Luminosity | 184[7] L☉ |
Surface gravity (log g) | 3.087[8] cgs |
Temperature | 11,058[7] K |
Metallicity [Fe/H] | +0.02[6] dex |
Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 290[9] km/s |
Age | 125[10] Myr |
Other designations | |
Database references | |
SIMBAD | data |
The brighter star of the Pleione binary pair, component A, is a hot type B star 184 times more luminous than the Sun. It is classified as Be star with certain distinguishing traits: periodic phase changes and a complex circumstellar environment composed of two gaseous disks at different angles to each other. The primary star rotates rapidly, close to its breakup velocity, even faster than Achernar. Although some research on the companion star has been performed, stellar characteristics of the orbiting B component are not well known.