Properties
From parallax measurements, the distance to this star is about 162 light-years (50 parsecs). It has an apparent visual magnitude of 2.89, making it easily visible to the naked eye. Beta Canis Minoris has about 3.5 times the Sun's mass and is rotating rapidly with a projected rotational velocity of 210 km s–1, which gives a lower bound on the azimuthal rotational velocity along the star's equator. The actual rotation rate may be about once per day.
The stellar classification of this star is B8 Ve. A luminosity class V star belongs on the main sequence, which means it is presently generating energy through the thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen at its core. The star is radiating this energy from its outer envelope at an effective temperature of 12,050 K, giving it a blue-white hue typical of B-type stars. An 'e' classification indicates that the spectrum contains emission lines, which means this is a Be star that is surrounded by a thin, circumstellar disk made of gaseous material ejected from the star. This hot, gaseous disk is about three times the radius of the star.
Beta Canis Minoris shows little variation in brightness, but it does display changes in the hydrogen emission coming from the gaseous disk. Examination with the Canadian MOST space telescope reveals low amplitude changes in luminosity from the star. This variation has a cyclic pattern formed from multiple overlapping frequencies, with the dominant frequencies being 3.257 and 3.282 cycles per day. As such, it belongs to a class called slowly pulsating Be stars, or SPBe.
Read more about this topic: Beta Canis Minoris
Famous quotes containing the word properties:
“The reason why men enter into society, is the preservation of their property; and the end why they choose and authorize a legislative, is, that there may be laws made, and rules set, as guards and fences to the properties of all the members of the society: to limit the power, and moderate the dominion, of every part and member of the society.”
—John Locke (1632–1704)
“A drop of water has the properties of the sea, but cannot exhibit a storm. There is beauty of a concert, as well as of a flute; strength of a host, as well as of a hero.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)