Gamma Draconis

"Eltanin" and "Etamin" redirect here. For other uses, see Eltanin (disambiguation) and Etamin (disambiguation).
Gamma Draconis


Location of γ Draconis (circled)

Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Draco
Right ascension 17h 56m 36.36988s[1]
Declination +51° 29′ 20.0242″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 2.23[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type K5 III[3]
U−B color index +1.87[2]
B−V color index +1.53[2]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)–28.19 ± 0.36[4] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: –8.48[1] mas/yr
Dec.: –22.79[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)21.14 ± 0.10[1] mas
Distance154.3 ± 0.7 ly
(47.3 ± 0.2 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)−1.93 ± 0.07[5]
Details
Mass1.72[6] M☉
Radius48.15 ± 1.09[5] R☉
Luminosity471 ± 30[5] L☉
Surface gravity (log g)1.55[5] cgs
Temperature3,930[5] K
Metallicity [Fe/H]–0.14[7] dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)6.0[4] km/s
Other designations
Etamin, Etanin, Ettanin, Rastaban, Rasaben, Zenith star, 33 Draconis, BD +51°2282, FK5 676, HD 164058, HIP 87833, HR 6705, SAO 30653.
Database references
SIMBADdata

Gamma Draconis (γ Draconis, abbreviated Gamma Dra, γ Dra), also named Eltanin,[8] is a star in the northern constellation of Draco. Despite the gamma designation, it is actually the brightest star in Draco at magnitude 2.4,[1] outshining Rastaban (Beta Draconis) by nearly half a magnitude. In 1.5 million years, Eltanin will pass within 28 light years of Earth. At this point (assuming its current absolute magnitude does not change) it will be the brightest star in the night sky, nearly as bright as Sirius is at present.[9]

Its proximity to the zenith point directly overhead of London has earned it the name "Zenith Star." As for other locations, it is still relatively easy to locate in the night sky; if one finds Vega, Eltanin is the red star just north-northwest of it.

Eltanin is at a distance of 154.3 light-years (47.3 parsecs) from the Sun,[1] as determined by parallax measurements from the Hipparcos astrometry satellite.[10][11] In 1728, while unsuccessfully attempting to measure the parallax of this star, James Bradley discovered the aberration of light resulting from the movement of the Earth. Bradley's discovery confirmed Copernicus' theory that the Earth revolved around the Sun.[9]

Properties

Gamma Draconis is an evolved giant star with a stellar classification of K5 III.[3] Since 1943, the spectrum of this star has served as one of the stable anchor points by which other stars are classified.[12] It has 72%[6] more mass than the Sun and it has expanded to around 48[5] times the Sun's girth. It is radiating about 471[5] times as much luminosity as the Sun from its outer atmosphere at an effective temperature of 3,930 K.[5] This is cooler than the Sun, giving this star the orange-hued glow of a K-type star.[13]

It may have a physical companion. If so, the two are separated by about 1000 AU. The luminosity of this object suggests it is a red dwarf star.[14]

Nomenclature

γ Draconis (Latinised to Gamma Draconis) is the star's Bayer designation.

It bore the traditional name Eltanin (or Etamin, Ettanin)[9][15] derived from the Arabic التنين At-Tinnin 'The great serpent'. The name Rastaban was formerly used for Gamma Draconis, and the two terms share an Arabic root meaning "serpent" or "dragon". In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN)[16] to catalogue and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN approved the name Eltanin for this star on 21 August 2016 and it is now so entered in the IAU Catalog of Star Names.[8]

Gamma Draconis, along with Beta Draconis (Rastaban), Mu Draconis (Erakis), Nu Draconis (Kuma) and Xi Draconis (Grumium) were Al ʽAwāïd "the Mother Camels", which was later known as the Quinque Dromedarii.[17]

In Chinese, 天棓 (Tiān Bàng), meaning Celestial Flail, refers to an asterism consisting of Gamma Draconis, Xi Draconis, Nu Draconis, Beta Draconis and Iota Herculis.[18] Consequently, Gamma Draconis itself is known as 天棓四 (Tiān Bàng sì, English: the Fourth Star of Celestial Flail.)[19]

Namesake

USS Etamin (AK-93) was a United States Navy Crater class cargo ship named after the star.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 van Leeuwen, F (November 2007). "Hipparcos, the New Reduction". Astronomy and Astrophysics. VizieR; Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. 474 (2): 653–664. arXiv:0708.1752Freely accessible. Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357. Retrieved 2010-11-21.
  2. 1 2 3 Oja, T. (August 1991). "UBV photometry of stars whose positions are accurately known. VI". Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series. 89 (2): 415–419. Bibcode:1991A&AS...89..415O.
  3. 1 2 Morgan, W. W.; Keenan, P. C. (1973), "Spectral Classification", Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 11 (1): 29, Bibcode:1973ARA&A..11...29M, doi:10.1146/annurev.aa.11.090173.000333
  4. 1 2 Massarotti, Alessandro; et al. (January 2008), "Rotational and Radial Velocities for a Sample of 761 HIPPARCOS Giants and the Role of Binarity", The Astronomical Journal, 135 (1): 209–231, Bibcode:2008AJ....135..209M, doi:10.1088/0004-6256/135/1/209
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Piau, L.; et al. (February 2011), "Surface convection and red-giant radius measurements", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 526: A100, arXiv:1010.3649Freely accessible, Bibcode:2011A&A...526A.100P, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201014442
  6. 1 2 Dehaes, S.; et al. (September 2011), "Structure of the outer layers of cool standard stars", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 533: A107, Bibcode:2011A&A...533A.107D, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200912442
  7. ↑ McWilliam, Andrew (December 1990). "High-resolution spectroscopic survey of 671 GK giants". Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series (PDF). 74: 1075–1128. Bibcode:1990ApJS...74.1075M. doi:10.1086/191527.
  8. 1 2 "IAU Catalog of Star Names". Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 Kaler, James B. "ELTANIN (Gamma Draconis)". Stars. University of Illinois. Retrieved 2010-11-21.
  10. ↑ Perryman, M. A. C.; Lindegren, L.; Kovalevsky, J.; et al. (July 1997), "The Hipparcos Catalogue", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 323: L49–L52, Bibcode:1997A&A...323L..49P
  11. ↑ Perryman, Michael (2010), "The Making of History's Greatest Star Map", The Making of History's Greatest Star Map:, Astronomers’ Universe, Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, Bibcode:2010mhgs.book.....P, doi:10.1007/978-3-642-11602-5, ISBN 978-3-642-11601-8
  12. ↑ Garrison, R. F. (December 1993), "Anchor Points for the MK System of Spectral Classification", Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 25: 1319, Bibcode:1993AAS...183.1710G, retrieved 2012-02-04
  13. ↑ "The Colour of Stars", Australia Telescope, Outreach and Education, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, December 21, 2004, retrieved 2012-01-16
  14. ↑ Ayres, Thomas R.; Brown, Alexander; Harper, Graham M. (November 2006), "The Coronae of γ Draconis", The Astrophysical Journal, 651 (2): 1126–1129, Bibcode:2006ApJ...651.1126A, doi:10.1086/507763
  15. ↑ "γ Dra (Eltanin)". Wikisky.org. Retrieved 2010-11-22.
  16. ↑ IAU Working Group on Star Names (WGSN), International Astronomical Union, retrieved 22 May 2016.
  17. ↑ Allen, R. H. (1963), Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning (Reprint ed.), New York, NY: Dover Publications Inc, p. 207, ISBN 0-486-21079-0, retrieved 2010-12-12
  18. ↑ (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.
  19. ↑ (Chinese) 香港太空館 - 研究資源 - 亮星中英對照表, Hong Kong Space Museum. Accessed on line November 23, 2010.

Coordinates: 17h 56m 36.37s, +51° 29′ 20.02″

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