Nu Mensae

Nu Mensae, Latinized from ν Mensae, is a solitary^[10] star situated in the southern circumpolar constellation Mensa. It has an apparent magnitude of 5.76,^[2] making it faintly visible to the naked eye. The star is relatively close at a distance of 176 light years^[1] but is receding with a heliocentric radial velocity of 9.1 km/s.^[5]

ν Mensae

Location of ν Mensae (circled)
Observation data Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation	Mensa
Right ascension	04h 20m 58.0721s[1]
Declination	−81° 34′ 47.719″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V)	5.76±0.01[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type	F0/2 III[3]
U−B color index	+0.05[4]
B−V color index	+0.35[4]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)	9.1±2.8[5] km/s
Proper motion (μ)	RA: +10.182[1] mas/yr Dec.: +125.469[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)	18.4754±0.0273 mas[1]
Distance	176.5 ± 0.3 ly (54.13 ± 0.08 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)	+2.13[6]
Details
Mass	1.69[7] M☉
Radius	2.3[8] R☉
Luminosity	11.5[9] L☉
Surface gravity (log g)	3.94[7] cgs
Temperature	6,921±139[7] K
Metallicity [Fe/H]	−0.08[7] dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)	108±5[6] km/s
Age	1.7[7] Gyr
Other designations
ν Mensae, 8 G. Mensae, CPD−81°115, GC 5418, HD 29116, HIP 20297, HR 1456, SAO 258378
Database references
SIMBAD	data

Nu Mensae has a stellar classification of F0/2 III,^[3] indicating that it is a giant star with a spectrum intermediate between that of an F0 and F2 star. The star has an angular diameter of 0.41±0.03 mas,^[11] and a radius 2.39 times that of the Sun at its estimated distance.^[8] At present it has 169% the mass of the Sun^[7] and shines at 11.5 times the luminosity of the Sun^[9] at an effective temperature of 6,921 K,^[7] giving it a white glow with a yellow tint. Despite an age of 1.7 billion years,^[7] Nu Mensae spins rapidly with a projected rotational velocity of 108 km/s^[6] and is slightly metal deficient relative to the Sun.^[7]