| Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Right ascension | 12h 57m 04.35244s[2] |
| Declination | −51° 11′ 55.5058″[2] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 5.163[2] |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | B7V + B8.5V + B[3] |
| Apparent magnitude (B) | 5.102 |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 5.163 |
| Variable type | ellipsoidal variable[3] |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | 14.55 ± 1.6[3] km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: −30.15mas/yr Dec.: −14.61mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 8.85±0.27 mas |
| Distance | 370 ± 10 ly (113 ± 3 pc) |
| Details[3] | |
| Primary | |
| Mass | 3.32 ± 0.51 M☉ |
| Radius | 2.09 ± 0.12 R☉ |
| Luminosity | 111 ± 21 L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 4.3 ± 0.1 cgs |
| Temperature | 13000 K |
| Secondary | |
| Mass | 2.37 ± 0.48 M☉ |
| Radius | 1.67 ± 0.09 R☉ |
| Luminosity | 37 ± 7 L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 4.4 ± 0.1 cgs |
| Temperature | 10687 ± 52 K |
| Other designations | |
| H Centauri,V945 Centauri,CD−50 7394,CPD−50 5596,CPC 0 10830,GC 17569,GCRV 7736,GSC 08258-01469,HD 112409,HIC 63210,HIP 63210,HR 4913,PPM 341451,SAO 240407 | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
H Centauri (H Cen), also known asV945 Centauri, is probabletriple star system[3] located in the constellationCentaurus. Fromparallax measurements, it is located 113parsecs (370light years) from the Sun. It is a member of the Lower Centaurus–Crux (LCC) subgroup of theScorpius–Centaurus association.[4] It is faintly visible to thenaked eye under good observing conditions.
H Centauri was discovered to be avariable star when theHipparcos data was analyzed. It was given itsvariable star designation, V945 Centauri, in 1999.[5] This system is a double-linedspectroscopic binary formed by twoB-type main-sequence star withspectral types B7V and B8.5V. They are in a close (but detached) circular orbit with aperiod of 0.6496 days and a separation of 5.63solar radii. Observed at aninclination of 24°, the system is anellipsoidal variable whoseapparent visual magnitude varies from 5.14 to 5.17 over the course of an orbit as the star's visible surface area changes. The system's spectrum contains a third set of spectral lines that are probably from a third star, also of type B.[3]
