Difference between revisions of "Procyon"
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{{Starbox | {{Starbox | ||
|name=Alpha Canis Minoris A/B | |name=Alpha Canis Minoris A/B |
Revision as of 23:28, 29 April 2010
Alpha Canis Minoris A/B | |
Stellar characteristics | |
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Constellation | Canis Minor |
Right ascension (Epoch J2000) | 07h 39m 18.1/17.7s |
Declination (Epoch J2000) | +05° 13' 29/20" |
Spectral type | F5 IV-V/DA |
Distance from Sol | 11.4 ± 0.03 ly |
Other designations | Procyon, Antecanis, Al Shira, Elgomaisa, Ghumūṣ, Nánhésān, α Canis Minoris, 10 Canis Minoris, GCTP 1805.00, HR 2943, BD+05°1739, HD 61421, LHS 233, GJ 280, HIP 37279, GC 10277, ADS 6251, CCDM 07393+0514, TD1 10647 |
Alpha Canis Minoris, also called Procyon, is a binary star system where a F-type main sequence star is orbited by a white dwarf star. Procyon A is the seventh-brightest star in the Earth's sky. Its name comes from the Greek "prokyon," meaning "before the dog", since it appears to precede the "Dog Star" Sirius in the Earth's sky.
Native life is unlikely around Procyon because the habitable zone (centered around 2.7 AU from the primary) may not contain stable orbits (due to the white dwarf companion with a periastron of 8.9 AU). This would not prevent Fen colonies in the habitable zone, but as of 2015 no such colonies are known to have been planned.