Omicron2 Canis Majoris
Properties
This is a massive supergiant star with a stellar classification of B3 Ia, indicating that, at the age of around 7 million years, it has exhausted the supply of hydrogen at its core and is now undergoing nuclear fusion of helium to generate energy. It has about 21 times the mass of the Sun and 65 times the Sun's radius. In all likelihood, it will end its life as a Type II supernova.
Omicron Canis Majoris is one of the most luminous stars known, as it radiates about 220,000 times as much luminosity as the Sun from its outer envelope at a temperature of 15,500 K. At this heat, the star is glowing with the blue-white hue of a B-type star. This star is classified as an Alpha Cygni-type variable star that undergoes periodic non-radial pulsations, which cause its brightness to cycle from magnitude +2.93 to +3.08 over a 24.44 day interval. It is losing mass from its stellar wind at the rate of around 2×10 times the mass of the Sun per year, or the equivalent of the Sun's mass every 500 million years.
Collinder 121
While this star lies in the field of view of the open cluster named Collinder 121, it is unlikely to be a member. In fact, its optical neighbor, the orange supergiant ο Canis Majoris has a much higher likelihood of 23.1% based upon its proper motion being a closer match to the motion of the cluster. Although they are located near each other on the celestial sphere, ο CMa and ο CMa are not gravitationally bound to each other as they appear to lie many light years apart.
Name
In the catalogue of stars in the Calendarium of Al Achsasi Al Mouakket, this star was designated Thanih al Adzari (ثاني ألعذاري - thaanii al-aðārii), which was translated into Latin as Secunda Virginum, meaning the second virgin. This star, along with ε CMa (Adhara), δ CMa (Wezen) and η CMa (Aludra), were Al ʽAdhārā (ألعذاري), the Virgins.
Notes
- ^ Using Omicron2's distance modulus of 10.2, its distance from Earth can be calculated by the following equation:
10.2 = 5 • log(distance in parsecs)−5.
GeoGebra can be used to calculate the distance value.
References
- ^ Vallenari, A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2023). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 674: A1. arXiv:2208.00211. Bibcode:2023A&A...674A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940. S2CID 244398875. Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
- ^ Gutierrez-Moreno, Adelina; et al. (1966), "A System of photometric standards", Publications of the Department of Astronomy University of Chile, 1, Publicaciones Universidad de Chile, Department de Astronomy: 1–17, Bibcode:1966PDAUC...1....1G
- ^ 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, archived from the original on 2019-06-25, retrieved 2012-02-04
- ^ Lefèvre, L.; et al. (November 2009), "A systematic study of variability among OB-stars based on HIPPARCOS photometry", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 507 (2): 11411201, Bibcode:2009A&A...507.1141L, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200912304
- ^ Crowther, P. A.; Lennon, D. J.; Walborn, N. R. (January 2006), "Physical parameters and wind properties of galactic early B supergiants", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 446 (1): 279–293, arXiv:astro-ph/0509436, Bibcode:2006A&A...446..279C, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20053685, S2CID 18815761
- ^ Tetzlaff, N.; Neuhäuser, R.; Hohle, M. M. (January 2011), "A catalogue of young runaway Hipparcos stars within 3 kpc from the Sun", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 410 (1): 190–200, arXiv:1007.4883, Bibcode:2011MNRAS.410..190T, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17434.x, S2CID 118629873
- ^ "Light Curve". Hipparcos ESA. ESA. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
- ^ Kaler, James B., "OMI-2 CMA (Omicron-2 Canis Majoris)", Stars, University of Illinois, retrieved 2012-02-28
- ^ "The Colour of Stars", Australia Telescope, Outreach and Education, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, December 21, 2004, archived from the original on March 18, 2012, retrieved 2012-01-16
- ^ Prinja, R. K.; Massa, D. L. (October 2010), "Signature of wide-spread clumping in B supergiant winds", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 521: L55, arXiv:1007.2744, Bibcode:2010A&A...521L..55P, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201015252, S2CID 59151633
- ^ Baumgardt, H.; Dettbarn, C.; Wielen, R. (October 2000), "Absolute proper motions of open clusters. I. Observational data", Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement, 146 (2): 251–258, arXiv:astro-ph/0010306, Bibcode:2000A&AS..146..251B, doi:10.1051/aas:2000362, S2CID 7180188
- ^ 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.
- ^ Knobel, E. B. (June 1895), "Al Achsasi Al Mouakket, on a catalogue of stars in the Calendarium of Mohammad Al Achsasi Al Mouakket", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 55: 429–438, Bibcode:1895MNRAS..55..429K, doi:10.1093/mnras/55.8.429
- ^ Allen, R. H. (1963), Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning (Reprint ed.), New York: Dover Publications Inc, p. 130, ISBN 0-486-21079-0, retrieved 2010-12-12
- ^ ε CMa as Aoul al Adzari or Prima Virginum (the first virgin), ο CMa as Thanih al Adzari or Secunda Virginum (the second virgin) and δ CMa as Thalath al Adzari or Tertia Virginum (the third virgin). η CMa should be Rabah al Adzari or Quarta Virginum (the fourth virgin) consistently, but it was given by the name Aludra, meaning the virgin (same meaning with Adhara (ε CMa) or Al ʽAdhārā)
