Tau Ceti

Also 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°

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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

Distance from Earth: 3.65
Radius: 0.8624102
Mass: 0.783
Image: Compare sun tau ceti.png

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catalog code: TYC 5855-2292-1
spectral class: K0
Commons category: Tau Ceti
surface gravity: 40000
apparent magnitude: 3.3004
parallax: 273.8097
effective temperature: 5344
absolute magnitude: 5.69
metallicity: -0.45
radial velocity: -17.61
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
right ascension: 26.01701307163417
declination: -15.93747989102139

Sources (5)

via Wikidata · CC0

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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.