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DL Crucis

Star in the constellation Crux From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

DL Crucis
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DL Crucis is a variable star in the constellation Crux.

Quick Facts Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000, Constellation ...
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Visibility

DL Crucis has a visual apparent magnitude of 6.3 so it is just visible with the unaided eye in dark skies.[8] It lies in the small southern constellation of Crux, halfway between η Crucis and ζ Crucis and close to the constellation's brightest star α Crucis. This area of sky lies within the Milky Way and close to the Coalsack Nebula.

Properties

DL Crucis has a spectral type of B1.5 Ia, making it a luminous blue supergiant with a temperature over 20,000 K and 251,000 times as luminous as the sun.[7] It has a radius around 42 times,[7] and a mass 30 times that of the Sun.[3]

Variability

Thumb
A light curve for DL Crucis, plotted from Hipparcos data[9]

In 1977 DL Crucis, then referred to as HR 4653, was being used as a comparison star to test the variability of δ Crucis. δ Crucis turned out to be constant relative to several other stars, but the difference in brightness between it and HR 4653 changed by 0.02 magnitude.[10] It was considered likely to be a variable with a period longer than seven hours.[11]

Hipparcos photometry showed that DL Crucis was varying by up to 0.04 magnitude with a main period of 2 days 21 hours It was classified as an α Cygni variable.[12] Shortly afterwards it received its variable star designation of DL Crucis.[13]

A later detailed statistical analysis of the same data found periods of 3.650 and 3.906 days, as well as a first harmonic pulsation, with a maximum brightness range of 0.11 magnitudes.[7]

References

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