HD 125288

This article is about v Centauri. Not to be confused with ν (nu) Centauri. For the variable star, see V Centauri.

HD 125288 is a single^[8] star in the southern constellation of Centaurus. It has the Bayer designation v Centauri (lower case V); while HD 125288 is the star's identifier in the Henry Draper catalogue. The object has a blue-white hue and is faintly visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.30.^[1] Based on spectroscopic measurements, it is located at a distance of approximately 1,270 light years from Earth.^[6] This is a candidate runaway star that is moving to the west and falling back into the Galactic plane.^[5] It has an absolute magnitude of −3.56.^[1]

HD 125288

Observation data Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation	Centaurus[1]
Right ascension	14h 20m 19.54267s[2]
Declination	−56° 23′ 11.3838″[2]
Apparent magnitude (V)	4.30[1]
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage	Supergiant[3]
Spectral type	B5Ib/II[4] or B6Ib[5]
B−V color index	0.082±0.003[1]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)	4.2±2.7[1] km/s
Proper motion (μ)	RA: −9.437 mas/yr[2] Dec.: −7.543 mas/yr[2]
Parallax (π)	2.2511±0.1972 mas[2]
Distance	1,270±130 ly (390±40 pc)[6]
Absolute magnitude (MV)	−3.56[1]
Details[6]
Mass	9.3±0.3 M☉
Radius	21±2 R☉
Luminosity	12,600+3,200 −2,600 L☉
Surface gravity (log g)	2.77±0.05 cgs
Temperature	13,700±300 K
Rotational velocity (v sin i)	23±4 km/s
Age	28.84+3.52 −3.14 Myr
Other designations
v Cen, CPD−55°5984, FK5 529, GC 19318, HD 125288, HIP 70069, HR 5358, SAO 241641[7]
Database references
SIMBAD	data

This massive B-type supergiant star^[3] has a stellar classification of B5Ib/II^[4] or B6Ib.^[5] It is around 29 million years old and has 9 times the mass of the Sun. The star has expanded to 21 times the girth of the Sun and is spinning with a projected rotational velocity of 23 km/s. It is radiating 12,600 times the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 13,700 K.^[6]

In 2016, an asterism including HD 125288 (SAO 241641) was unofficially identified in honor of David Bowie.^[9][10]