File:Cetus_constellation_map.svg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Tau Ceti
Sign in to saveAlso known as 52 Ceti, Tau Cet, GES J01440247-1556034, 52 Cet, τ Cet, HD 10700
star in the constellation Cetus
Astronomical data · SIMBAD
- Object type
- PM*
- Spectral type
- G8V
- Distance
- 12 light-years
- Redshift
- z = -0.00005536010050966045
- Coordinates
- RA 26.0170° · Dec -15.9375°
via SIMBAD · CDS Strasbourg
Key facts
- Constellation
- Cetus
- Pronunciation
- / ˌ t aʊ ˈ s iː t aɪ /
- Right ascension
- 01 44 04.083
- Declination
- −15 ° 56 ′ 14.93 ″
- Apparent magnitude v
- 3.50 ± 0.01
- Evolutionary stage
- Main sequence
- Spectral type
- G8V
- U b color index
- +0.21
- B v color index
- +0.72
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Constellation
- Cetus
- Child body
- Aurora
- Distance from Earth
- 3.65
- Radius
- 0.8624102
- Mass
- 0.783
- Variable-star type
- rotating variable star
- Image
- Compare sun tau ceti.png
Show 20 more facts
- catalog code
- TYC 5855-2292-1
- spectral class
- K0
- Commons category
- Tau Ceti
- surface gravity
- 40000
- topic's main category
- Category:Tau Ceti
- apparent magnitude
- 3.3004
- parallax
- 273.8097
- effective temperature
- 5344
- absolute magnitude
- 5.69
- metallicity
- -0.45
- radial velocity
- -17.61
- epoch
- J2000.0
- luminosity
- 0.5592891
- stellar rotational velocity
- 0.518
- right ascension component of proper motion
- -1718
- declination component of proper motion
- 860
- age estimated by a dating method
- 5.8
- present in work
- Project Hail Mary
- right ascension
- 26.01701307163417
- declination
- -15.93747989102139
Sources (5)
via Wikidata · CC0
~26 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Tau Ceti is a single star in the constellation Cetus. Its name is a Bayer designation that is Latinized from τ Ceti, and abbreviated Tau Cet or τ Cet. Spectrally, this star is similar to the Sun, although it has only about 78% of the Sun's mass. At a distance of just under 12 light-years (3.7 parsecs) from the Solar System, it is a relatively nearby star and the closest solitary G-type star. The star appears stable, with little stellar variation, and is metal-deficient (low in elements other than hydrogen and helium) relative to the Sun.
It can be seen with the unaided eye with an apparent magnitude of 3.5. As seen from Tau Ceti, the Sun would be in the northern hemisphere constellation Boötes with an apparent magnitude of about 2.6.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Tau Ceti” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.