D Centauri

{{Short description|Multiple star in the constellation Centaurus}}

{{For|d Centauri|HD 117440}}

{{Starbox begin

| name = D Centauri

}}

{{Starbox observe

| epoch = J2000.0

| constell = Centaurus

| ra = {{RA|12|14|02.697}}

| dec = {{DEC|−45|43|26.10}}

| appmag_v = +5.31 {{nowrap|(5.78 + 6.98)}}

}}

{{Starbox character

| type =

| class = K3III {{nowrap|(K4IIIab + K2IIIb)}}

| b-v = {{val|+1.400|0.003}}/1.21

| u-b = +1.82/1.19

| variable =

}}

{{Starbox astrometry

| component1 = A

| radial_v = {{val|+10.27|0.68}}

| prop_mo_ra = −37.186

| prop_mo_dec = 6.606

| parallax = 5.3350

| p_error = 0.1399

| parallax_footnote =

| absmag_v = −0.88

| component2 = B

| radial_v2 =

| prop_mo_ra2 = −33.604

| prop_mo_dec2 = 5.434

| parallax2 = 4.9297

| p_error2 = 0.0550

| parallax_footnote2 =

| absmag_v2 =

}}

{{Starbox detail

| component1 = A

| mass =

| radius = {{val|42.8|1.1|2.13}}

| luminosity = {{val|434|13}}

| gravity =

| temperature = {{val|4026|104|50|fmt=commas}}

| metal_fe =

| rotation =

| age_myr =

| rotational_velocity =

| component2 = B

| radius2 = {{val|13.5|1.7|1.9}}

| luminosity2 = {{val|90.5|1.4}}

| temperature2 = {{val|4853|275|392|fmt=commas}}

}}

{{Starbox catalog

| names = {{odlist | B=D Cen | HR=4652 | HD=106321 | CD=−45°7630 | HIP=59654 | SAO=223297 | GC=16703 | CCDM=J12140-4543 | WDS+J12140-4543 }}

}}

{{Starbox reference

| Simbad = HD+106321

}}

{{Starbox end}}

D Centauri is a double star in the southern constellation of Centaurus. The system is faintly visible to the naked eye as a point of light with a combined apparent magnitude of +5.31; the two components are of magnitude 5.78 and 6.98, respectively. It is located at a distance of approximately 610 light years from the Sun based on parallax, and is drifting further away with a radial velocity of ~10 km/s.

The dual nature of this star was announced by C. Rumker in 1837. As of 2015, the pair had an angular separation of {{val|2.70|ul=arcsecond}} along a position angle of 242°. This orange-hued double has a combined stellar classification of K3III, matching an aging giant star that has exhausted the supply of hydrogen at its core. In 1984, C. J. Corbally found a class of K4IIIab for the primary and K2IIIb for the fainter secondary.