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Theta Apodis
Star in the constellation Apus From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Theta Apodis is a variable star in the southern circumpolar constellation of Apus. Its identifier is a Bayer designation that is Latinized from θ Apodis, and abbreviated Tet Aps or θ Aps, respectively. This is a variable star with an apparent visual magnitude range of 4.65 to 6.20,[3] which, according to the Bortle Dark-Sky Scale, means it is a faint star but visible to the naked eye from dark suburban skies. The distance to Theta Apodis is approximately 390 light-years (120 parsecs), based upon parallax measurements made from the Gaia telescope.[1] It is unusual in that it is a red star with a high proper motion (greater than 50 milliarcseconds a year).[10]
Benjamin Apthorp Gould announced that Theta Apodis is a variable star, in 1879.[12] It is a semiregular pulsating variable and its brightness changes over a range of 0.56 magnitudes with a period of 119[3] days. A longer period of around 1,000 days has also been detected.[11]
This is an evolved red giant that is currently on the asymptotic giant branch,[13] with a stellar classification of M7 III.[3] It shines with a luminosity approximately 3879 times that of the Sun and has a surface temperature of 3,131 K.[7] It is losing mass at the rate of 1.1 × 10−7 times the mass of the Sun per year through its stellar wind. Dusty material ejected from this star is interacting with the surrounding interstellar medium, forming a bow shock as the star moves through the galaxy. The stand-off distance for this front is located at about 0.134 ly (0.041 pc) from Theta Apodis.[13]
Theta Apodis has been identified as an astrometric binary, indicating that it has an orbiting companion that causes gravitational perturbation of the primary star.[14]
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