Beta Pictoris, a white main-sequence star in Pictor
Beta Pictoris is a white main-sequence star in the constellation Pictor. At 63 light years away, it is the 434th brightest star in the Earth's sky, where it shines at an apparent visual magnitude of 3.85.
Beta Pictoris (HIP 27321)
Beta Pictoris is a white main-sequence star in the constellation Pictor. At 63 light years away, it is the 434th brightest star in the Earth's sky, where it shines at an apparent visual magnitude of 3.85. It is moving through the Galaxy at a speed of 21.4 km/s relative to the Sun and is part of the Beta Pictoris moving group. Its projected Galactic orbit carries it between 23,300 and 24,300 light years from the center of the Galaxy. It came closest to the Sun 829,000 years ago when it had brightened to magnitude 1.62 from a distance of 22.7 light years. Beta Pictoris has one confirmed planet know to date (early 2012).
Sky position: RA 5h 47.3m, Dec -51° 4.2'
Common designations: Beta Pictoris, HIP 27321, HD 39060, Gliese 219.0
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Brightest stars in Pictor:
(list all)
| Rank | Mag. | Star |
| 1 | 3.24 | Alpha Pictoris |
2
| 3.85
) Beta Pictoris
| Rank | Mag. | Star |
| 3 | 4.50 | Gamma Pictoris |
| 4 | 4.72 | Delta Pictoris |
| 5 | 5.04 | HR 2196 |
| 6 | 5.05 | Eta-2 Pictoris |
| 7 | 5.16 | HR 2049 |
| 8 | 5.20 | 61 Pictoris |
| 9 | 5.29 | HD 40292 |
| 10 | 5.30 | Lambda Pictoris |
| 11 | 5.31 | HR 2008 |
| 12 | 5.37 | Eta-1 Pictoris |
| 13 | 5.44 | Zeta Pictoris |
| 14 | 5.46 | HR 1856 |
| 15 | 5.58 | Iota Pictoris A |
| 16 | 5.60 | Nu Pictoris |
| 17 | 5.65 | HR 2138 |
Galactic Orbit of Beta Pictoris
(compared to the Sun)
E
ccentricity: 2.0% vs. 16.0%Angle φ : 131.1°vs. 26.0°
Semi-major axis : 7,307 pc vs. 8,686 pc
Semi-minor axis: 7,306 pc vs. 8,574 pc
Focus-to-center
: 149 pcvs. 1,388 pcSemilatus rectum : 7,304 pc vs. 8,464 pc
Perigalacticon: 7,159 pc vs. 7,297 pc
Apogalacticon
: 7,456 pcvs. 10,074 pcSome Tabulated XHIP Data for Beta Pictoris
(see also: SIMBAD)
Astrometry
2007A&A...474..653V
| Position | Proper Motion | |
| Right Ascension: | 86.82118072° ±0.10 mas | 4.65 ±0.11 mas/yr. |
| Declination: | -51.06671341° ±0.11 mas | 83.10 ±0.15 mas/yr. |
| Galactic Longitude: | 258.36405637° | -82.08 mas/yr. |
| Galactic Latitude: | -30.61176614° | 13.82 mas/yr. |
Parallax: 51.44 ± 0.12 mas
Spectrography
Spectral Type: A5 V 1978MSS...C02....0H.
Radial Velocity: 20.00 ±0.70 km/s [A rating] 2006AstL...32..759G.
Iron Abundance [Fe/H]:
n/a
Photometry
band
magnitude
Abs. Mag.
U
B
4.02
2.58
V
3.85
2.41
R
I
3.70
2.26
J
3.67
2.23
H
3.54
2.10
K
3.53
2.08
B-V: +0.17 V-I: +0.15
Derivations
Heliocentric distance: 19.44 pc (0.2% margin of error)
Galactocentric distance: 7,403 pc
Transverse velocity: 7.7 km/s
3D heliocentric position and motion:
|
toward: |
Galactic center | Galactic rotation | North Galactic Pole |
| Position ( X, Y, Z) | -3.4 pc | -16.4 pc | -9.9 pc |
| Velocity (U, V, W) | -11.0 km/s | -16.0 km/s | -9.1 km/s |