Epsilon Corvi

Epsilon Corvi (ε Crv, ε Corvi) is a star in the southern constellation of Corvus. It has the traditional name Minkar /ˈmɪŋkɑːr/, from Arabic منقار minqar meaning "beak [of the crow]"^[9] The apparent visual magnitude is +3.0^[2] and it is located at a distance of 318 light-years (97 parsecs) from Earth.^[1]

ε Corvi

Location of ε Corvi (circled)
Observation data Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation	Corvus
Right ascension	12h 10m 07.48058s[1]
Declination	–22° 37′ 11.1620″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V)	+3.024[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type	K2 III[3]
U−B color index	+1.458[2]
B−V color index	+1.318[2]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)	+4.9[4] km/s
Proper motion (μ)	RA: –71.74 mas/yr[1] Dec.: +10.25 mas/yr[1]
Parallax (π)	10.26 ± 0.16 mas[1]
Distance	318 ± 5 ly (97 ± 2 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)	−1.82+0.15 −0.14[5]
Details[6]
Mass	2.97±0.43 M☉
Radius	56.65±2.24 R☉
Luminosity	930±54 L☉
Surface gravity (log g)	1.42±0.10 cgs
Temperature	4,239±57 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]	−0.18±0.10 dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)	1.0[7] km/s
Age	590±210 Myr
Other designations
2 Crv, BD−21° 3487, FK5 453, HD 105707, HIP 59316, HR 4630, SAO 180531.[8]
Database references
SIMBAD	data

In Chinese, 軫宿 (Zhěn Sù), meaning Chariot (asterism), refers to an asterism consisting of ε Corvi, γ Corvi, δ Corvi and β Corvi.^[10] Consequently, ε Corvi itself is known as 軫宿二 (Zhěn Sù èr, English: the Second Star of Chariot.).^[11]

Epsilon Corvi is a red giant with a stellar classification of K2 III, having consumed the hydrogen at its core and evolved away from the main sequence. It has about three times the Sun's mass, while having expanded to 57 times the Sun's radius. The photosphere irradiates 930 times more energy than the Sun and has an effective temperature of 4239 K,^[6] giving it an orange hue that is characteristic of a K-type star.^[12] It spent much of its life as a main sequence star of spectral type B5V.^[13]

References

1. van Leeuwen, F. (November 2007), "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 474 (2): 653–664, arXiv:0708.1752, Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357, S2CID 18759600
2. Celis S., L. (October 1975), "Photoelectric photometry of late-type variable stars", Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series, 22: 9–17, Bibcode:1975A&AS...22....9C
3. Houk, Nancy (1979), Michigan catalogue of two-dimensional spectral types for the HD stars, vol. 4, Ann Arbor, Michigan: Dept. of Astronomy, University of Michigan, Bibcode:1988mcts.book.....H
4. Wielen, R.; et al. (1999), "Sixth Catalogue of Fundamental Stars (FK6). Part I. Basic fundamental stars with direct solutions", Veroeffentlichungen des Astronomischen Rechen-Instituts Heidelberg, 35 (35), Astronomisches Rechen-Institut Heidelberg: 1, Bibcode:1999VeARI..35....1W
5. Carney, Bruce W.; et al. (March 2008), "Rotation and Macroturbulence in Metal-Poor Field Red Giant and Red Horizontal Branch Stars", The Astronomical Journal, 135 (3): 892–906, arXiv:0711.4984, Bibcode:2008AJ....135..892C, doi:10.1088/0004-6256/135/3/892, S2CID 2756572
6. Reffert, Sabine; Bergmann, Christoph; Quirrenbach, Andreas; Trifonov, Trifon; Künstler, Andreas (2015-02-01), "Precise radial velocities of giant stars. VII. Occurrence rate of giant extrasolar planets as a function of mass and metallicity", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 574: A116, arXiv:1412.4634, Bibcode:2015A&A...574A.116R, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201322360, ISSN 0004-6361 Epsilon Corvi's database entry at VizieR.
7. Melo, C. H. F.; et al. (August 2005), "On the nature of lithium-rich giant stars. Constraints from beryllium abundances", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 439 (1): 227–235, arXiv:astro-ph/0504133, Bibcode:2005A&A...439..227M, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20041805, S2CID 10580797
8. "MINKAR -- Variable Star", SIMBAD, Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg, retrieved 2012-01-23
9. Al-Sufi, Book Of Fixed Stars, Constellation: The Crow
10. (in Chinese) 中國星座神話, written by 陳久金. Published by 台灣書房出版有限公司, 2005, ISBN 978-986-7332-25-7.
11. (in Chinese) 香港太空館 - 研究資源 - 亮星中英對照表 Archived January 30, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Hong Kong Space Museum. Accessed on line November 23, 2010.
12. "The Colour of Stars", Australia Telescope, Outreach and Education, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, December 21, 2004, archived from the original on 2012-03-18, retrieved 2012-01-16
13. Kaler, James B. (Jim), "Minkar", Stars, University of Illinois, retrieved 12 July 2015