V Centauri

This article is about V Centauri and is not to be confused with v Centauri.

V Centauri (V Cen) is a Classical Cepheid variable, a type of variable star, in the constellation Centaurus. It is approximately 2,350 light-years (720 parsecs) away based on parallax.

V Centauri

A light curve for V Centauri, plotted from Hipparcos data[1]
Observation data Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation	Centaurus
Right ascension	14h 32m 33.0833s[2]
Declination	−56° 53′ 15.774″[2]
Apparent magnitude (V)	6.42 - 7.22[3]
Characteristics
Spectral type	F5 Ib/II[4]
B−V color index	0.87[5]
Variable type	Classical Cepheid[3]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)	−18.90 ± 1.4[6] km/s
Proper motion (μ)	RA: −6.697[2] mas/yr Dec.: −7.068[2] mas/yr
Parallax (π)	1.3898±0.0221 mas[2]
Distance	2,350 ± 40 ly (720 ± 10 pc)
Details
Mass	4.3[7] M☉
Radius	40[2] R☉
Luminosity	1,657[8] L☉
Surface gravity (log g)	1.89[2] cgs
Temperature	5,500[8] K
Metallicity [Fe/H]	+0.12[9] dex
Age	103[10] Myr
Other designations
V Cen, CD−56°5479, HD 127297, HIP 71116, HR 5421, SAO 241777[5]
Database references
SIMBAD	data

Alexander W. Roberts discovered this star in 1894, and from 267 visual observations he determined is period of variation.^[11] V Centauri varies regularly between visual magnitudes 6.42 and 7.22 every 5.5 days. It is classified as a Cepheid variable on the basis of its light variations, with the brightness increase from minimum to maximum taking only a third of the time of the decrease from maximum to minimum. Cepheids are pulsating variable stars and V Centauri expands and contracts over its pulsation cycle as well as changing temperature.^[3]

According to the South African Astronomical Observatory, the chemical composition was derived as being high in sodium (Na) and aluminium (Al) and low in magnesium (Mg).^[12] Following a normal composition for a Cepheid star, V Cen does not have any unusual characteristics. V Centauri's composition was observed alongside six other Classical Cepheid variable stars with the support of Russian, Chilean, and Ukrainian observatories.^[12]