3 Centauri

3 Centauri A/B

Observation data Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation	Centaurus
Right ascension	13^h 51^m 49.60^s[1]
Declination	−32° 59′ 38.7″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V)	+4.56/+6.06
Characteristics
Spectral type	B5IIIp/B8V
U−B color index	−0.60
B−V color index	−0.13
Variable type	eclipsing binary?
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)	+10 km/s
Proper motion (μ)	RA: -34.54 ± 0.78[1] mas/yr Dec.: -28.21 ± 0.62[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)	9.49 ± 0.89[1] mas
Distance	340 ± 30 ly (105 ± 10 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)	−0.23/+1.27
Other designations
k Centauri, V983 Centauri, HR 5210/5211, HD 120709/120710, CD−32°9676, HIP 67669, SAO 204916/204917, GC 18724/18725, CCDM J13518-3300
Database references
SIMBAD	data

3 Centauri is a binary star in the constellation Centaurus. It is approximately 340 light years from Earth.

The primary component, 3 Centauri A, is a blue-white B-type giant with a mean apparent magnitude of +4.56. It is a variable star, and its brightness varies from magnitude +4.27 to +4.32 It is suspected the variations in luminosity are a result of the primary being an eclipsing binary, which would mean the system would consist of at least three objects. Its more distant companion, 3 Centauri B, is located 7.9 arcseconds away. It is a blue-white B-type main sequence dwarf and has an apparent magnitude of +6.06.

References

1. van Leeuwen, F. (2007). "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction". Astronomy and Astrophysics 474 (2): 653–664. arXiv:0708.1752. Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357. Vizier catalog entry