Chi Centauri

Chi Centauri (χ Cen, χ Centauri) is a star in the constellation Centaurus.

A light curve for Chi Centauri, plotted from TESS data.^[6]

χ Centauri

Observation data Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation	Centaurus
Right ascension	14h 06m 02.77s[1]
Declination	−41° 10′ 46.7″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V)	+4.353 ± 0.007[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type	B2 V[3]
U−B color index	−0.774 ± 0.013[2]
B−V color index	−0.195 ± 0.006[2]
Variable type	β Cep[4]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)	+12 km/s
Proper motion (μ)	RA: –22.90 ± 0.17[1] mas/yr Dec.: –21.69 ± 0.17[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)	6.39±0.21 mas[1]
Distance	510 ± 20 ly (156 ± 5 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)	−1.50±0.14[5]
Details[5]
Mass	7.1±0.2 M☉
Radius	3.5±0.3 R☉
Luminosity	2,090+310 −270 L☉
Surface gravity (log g)	4.22±0.05 cgs
Temperature	20,800±300 K
Rotational velocity (v sin i)	18 ± 1[2] km/s
Age	12+4 −5 Myr
Other designations
CD−40°8405, GC 19017, HD 122980, HIP 68862, HR 5285, SAO 224673
Database references
SIMBAD	data

χ Centauri is a blue-white B-type main sequence dwarf with a mean apparent magnitude of +4.36. It is approximately 510 light years from Earth. It is classified as a Beta Cephei type variable star and its brightness varies by 0.02 magnitudes with a period of 50.40 minutes.

This star is a proper motion member of the Upper Centaurus–Lupus sub-group in the Scorpius–Centaurus OB association, the nearest such co-moving association of massive stars to the Sun.^[7]