.jpg) | |
| Observation data EpochJ2000 EquinoxJ2000 | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Aquarius[2] |
| Right ascension | 22h 48m 04.49285s[3] |
| Declination | −24° 22′ 07.7178″[3] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 12.624[4] |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | M4V[5] |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | 5.77±0.58[3] km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: 331.609mas/yr[3] Dec.: −183.805mas/yr[3] |
| Parallax (π) | 130.2707±0.0325 mas[3] |
| Distance | 25.037 ± 0.006 ly (7.676 ± 0.002 pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | 13.21 ± 0.02[5] |
| Details[5] | |
| Mass | 0.18±0.02 M☉ |
| Radius | 0.23 ± 0.01[a] R☉ |
| Luminosity | 0.004603 L☉ |
| Temperature | 3,132±65 K |
| Metallicity[Fe/H] | −0.1 dex |
| Rotation | 0.466 days |
| Other designations | |
| Fomalhaut C,α PsA C,LP 876-10,NLTT 54872,WDS J22577-2937C,2MASS J22480446-2422075, Gaia DR2 6623351805412369024 | |
  Fomalhaut C Location of Fomalhaut C in the constellationAquarius | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
Fomalhaut C, also designatedLP 876-10, is the distant thirdstar of theFomalhaut system. It is about five degrees from Fomalhaut, roughly halfway between it and theHelix Nebula on the sky. It is currently 2.5 light-years (0.77 pc) from Fomalhaut (A), and 3.2 light-years away fromFomalhaut B (0.987 pc). The entire system is approximately 25 light-years (7.7 pc) from theSolar System.
.jpg)
Fomalhaut C was catalogued as ahigh-proper-motion star byWillem Luyten in 1979, and later, in October 2013, was determined to be part of the Fomalhaut system. The star has a mass of 0.2 M☉, while Fomalhaut A is 1.9 M☉, and Fomalhaut B is 0.7 M☉. The apparent magnitude of Fomalhaut C is 12.6 requiring a six-inch aperture or larger telescope for direct visual observation. The entire system of Fomalhaut is around 440 million years old, which is roughly a tenth of the Solar System's age.[6]
| Companion (in order from star) | Mass | Semimajor axis (AU) | Orbital period (days) | Eccentricity | Inclination | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debris disk | 26.4±0.6AU | 44±3° | — | |||
In December 2013, adebris disk was discovered around this star.[8][9][10] This is the second debris disk in the system, as a first one was discovered around Fomalhaut A. The debris disc was discovered with theHerschel Space Telescope, and with the telescope the debris disc's temperature has been estimated at24 K. The distance from the star was originally thought to be around10 AU, but since it is hypothesized that it is mainly small grains, which trap more heat, it may be further. However, if it were beyond 40 AU, it would have been already cataloged, which gives it a radius between 10 and 40 AU.
The disk was directly detected byALMA in 2021[7] and byJWST in 2024.[11]
In addition to the debris disk, there are alsocomets orbiting Fomalhaut C.[12] The debris disk orbiting C is sometimes referred to as a comet belt, due to some very elliptical orbits. The disk around Fomalhaut A is also thought to have many comets, as it is also elliptical. The Fomalhaut A belt is thought to possibly be due to a close encounter with either an undiscoveredexoplanet, Fomalhaut B, or Fomalhaut C. With both A and C having comet belts, the absence of one around B is a mystery. Not only does the presence of comets make the belt more elliptical, it also makes it brighter which takes a part in its discovery.[13][14]
It has been hypothesized that Fomalhaut C could have hidden exoplanets within its belt of comets andasteroids.[15] It has also been hypothesized that A & C have interacted which could have formed C's comet belt if the interaction involved A giving up comets and debris.[16] With Fomalhaut B not having any discs or belts around it, it could have been unaffected by the encounter between them.
The orbit of Fomalhaut C around A is estimated to take 20 million years to complete.[17] Due to the age of the three stars being 440 million years, and the distance of 2.5 light-years, this would mean that Fomalhaut C has only completed a full orbit around Fomalhaut A 22 times.[18] The tidal radius of the Fomalhaut system is 6.2 light-years (1.9 parsecs), which makes Fomalhaut C well within it, which further proves the Fomalhaut system as a triple.
