Tau Sagittarii

Tau Sagittarii (Tau Sgr, τ Sagittarii, τ Sgr) is a star in the southern zodiac constellation of Sagittarius.

τ Sagittarii

Location of τ Sagittarii (circled)
Observation data Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation	Sagittarius
Right ascension	19h 06m 56.40897s[1]
Declination	–27° 40′ 13.5189″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V)	+3.326[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type	K1 III[3]
U−B color index	+1.185[2]
B−V color index	+1.170[2]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)	+45.4[4] km/s
Proper motion (μ)	RA: –50.61[1] mas/yr Dec.: -249.80[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)	28.3195 ± 0.3134 mas[5]
Distance	115 ± 1 ly (35.3 ± 0.4 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)	0.48[6]
Details[7]
Mass	1.25 M☉
Radius	15.71 R☉
Luminosity	87.6 L☉
Surface gravity (log g)	2.15 cgs
Temperature	4,459 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]	–0.27 dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)	1.04[8] km/s
Age	7.91 Gyr
Other designations
Namalsadirah 2, Rabi al Sadira, τ Sagittarii, τ Sgr, Tau Sgr, 40 Sagittarii, CPD−27°6617, FK5 1496, GC 26291, HD 177716, HIP 93864, HR 7234, PPM 269078, SAO 187683
Database references
SIMBAD	data

Description

With an apparent visual magnitude of +3.3,^[2] this is one of the brighter members of the constellation. The distance of this star from Earth is roughly 122 light-years (37 parsecs), based upon parallax measurements.^[1]

This is a spectral type K1 giant star with about 1.25 M_☉. The stellar envelope is slightly cooler than the Sun with an effective temperature of 4,459 K, giving the star a light orange color. The interferometry-measured angular diameter of this star, after correcting for limb darkening, is 3.93 ± 0.04 mas,^[9] which, at its estimated distance, equates to a physical radius of about 16 times the radius of the Sun.^[10]

τ Sagittarii is a suspected double star although no companion has been confirmed yet. A lower metal content (Fe to H ratio is 54% lower than the sun's) and a high peculiar velocity (64 km/s, four times the local average) relative to the Sun suggest the star is a visitor from a different part of the Galaxy. ^[11]

τ  Sagittarii is a red clump giant, a star with a similar mass to the sun which has exhausted its core hydrogen, passed through the red giant branch, and started helium fusion in its core.^[12]

The Wow! signal

τ Sagittarii is the closest constellational star (a star that is part of the traditional outline of a constellation) to the origin of the 1977 Wow! signal.^[13]

Name and etymology

• The star forms part of simple asterisms:
  • γ Sgr, τ Sgr, δ Sgr, ε Sgr, ζ Sgr, λ Sgr, σ Sgr and φ Sgr — the Teapot.^[14]
  • φ Sgr, τ Sgr, ζ Sgr, χ Sgr (double) and σ Sgr — the Returning Ostriches; in Arabic Al Naʽām al Ṣādirah often transliterated as Namalsadirah (النعم السادرة).^[15]
    • Originally four stars in a numerical order: φ Sgr, τ Sgr, χ¹ Sgr and χ² Sgr^[16]
  • ν Sgr, τ Sgr, ψ Sgr, ω Sgr, 60 Sgr and ζ Sgr, Al Udḥiyy — the Ostrich's Nest.^[15]
  • In the entirely separate Chinese tradition — 斗 (Dǒu), meaning Dipper: τ Sgr, φ Sgr, λ Sgr, μ Sgr, σ Sgr and ζ Sgr. The star itself is 斗宿五 (Dǒu Xiù wǔ, English: the Dipper's fifth star).^[17]

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. Gray, R. O.; et al. (July 2006), "Contributions to the Nearby Stars (NStars) Project: spectroscopy of stars earlier than M0 within 40 pc-The Southern Sample", The Astronomical Journal, 132 (1): 161–170, arXiv:astro-ph/0603770, Bibcode:2006AJ....132..161G, doi:10.1086/504637, S2CID 119476992
4. Wilson, R. E. (1953). "General Catalogue of Stellar Radial Velocities". Carnegie Institute Washington D.C. Publication. Carnegie Institute of Washington D.C. Bibcode:1953GCRV..C......0W.
5. Brown, A. G. A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2021). "Gaia Early Data Release 3: Summary of the contents and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 649: A1. arXiv:2012.01533. Bibcode:2021A&A...649A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202039657. S2CID 227254300. (Erratum: doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202039657e). Gaia EDR3 record for this source at VizieR.
6. Cardini, D. (January 2005), "Mg II chromospheric radiative loss rates in cool active and quiet stars", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 430: 303–311, arXiv:astro-ph/0409683, Bibcode:2005A&A...430..303C, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20041440, S2CID 12136256.
7. Reffert, Sabine; et al. (2015). "Precise radial velocities of giant stars. VII. Occurrence rate of giant extrasolar planets as a function of mass and metallicity". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 574: A116. arXiv:1412.4634. Bibcode:2015A&A...574A.116R. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201322360. hdl:10722/215277. S2CID 59334290.
8. Hekker, S.; Meléndez, J. (2007). "Precise radial velocities of giant stars. III. Spectroscopic stellar parameters". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 475 (3): 1003. arXiv:0709.1145. Bibcode:2007A&A...475.1003H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078233. S2CID 10436552.
9. Richichi, A.; et al. (February 2005), "CHARM2: An updated Catalog of High Angular Resolution Measurements", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 431 (2): 773–777, Bibcode:2005A&A...431..773R, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20042039
10. Lang, Kenneth R. (2006), Astrophysical formulae, Astronomy and astrophysics library, vol. 1 (3rd ed.), Birkhäuser, ISBN 3-540-29692-1. The radius (R_*) is given by:

    ${\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}2\cdot R_{*}&={\frac {(10^{-3}\cdot 37\cdot 3.93)\ {\text{AU}}}{0.0046491\ {\text{AU}}/R_{\bigodot }}}\\&\approx 31.3\cdot R_{\bigodot }\end{aligned}}}$

11. "The Teapot: A Guide to Deep Sky Objects in Sagittarius – Constellation Guide". www.constellation-guide.com. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
12. Alves, David R. (2000). "K-Band Calibration of the Red Clump Luminosity". The Astrophysical Journal. 539 (2): 732–741. arXiv:astro-ph/0003329. Bibcode:2000ApJ...539..732A. doi:10.1086/309278. S2CID 16673121.
13. "The world's biggest mysteries scientists still can't solve". 2 September 2014. Archived from the original on 8 November 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
14. "Teapot". constellation-guide.com. Retrieved 2017-05-13.
15. Allen, R. H. (1963). Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning (Reprint ed.). New York: Dover Publications Inc. p. 355. ISBN 0-486-21079-0. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
16. Jack W. Rhoads - Technical Memorandum 33-507 - A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology; November 15, 1971
17. (in Chinese) AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 5 月 11 日 Archived 2011-05-22 at the Wayback Machine