H Centauri

{{Short description|Star in the constellation Centaurus}}

{{confuse|4 Centauri{{!}}h Centauri|Eta Centauri{{!}}η Centauri}}

{{starbox begin

| name=H Centauri

}}

{{Starbox image

| image = 250px

| caption = A light curve for V945 Centauri, plotted from TESS data

}}

{{starbox observe

| epoch=J2000

| constell=Centaurus

| ra={{RA|12|57|04.35244}}*{{cite simbad | title=* H Cen | access-date=2014-05-14}}

| dec={{DEC|−51|11|55.5058}}

| appmag_v=5.163

}}

{{starbox character

| class=B7V + B8.5V + B{{cite journal|author=Harmanec, P.|author2=Aerts, C.|author3=Prša, A.|author4=Verhoelst, T.|author5=Kolenberg, K.|title=V945 Centauri = HD 112409: a bright hot short-period binary in a triple system?|journal=Astronomy and Astrophysics|volume=520|pages=A73, 11 pp|date=September 2010|bibcode=2010A&A...520A..73H|doi=10.1051/0004-6361/201014096|url=https://lirias.kuleuven.be/bitstream/123456789/283493/2/aa14096-10.pdf|doi-access=free}}

| appmag_1_passband=B

| appmag_1=5.102

| appmag_2_passband=V

| appmag_2=5.163

| variable = ellipsoidal variable

}}

{{starbox astrometry

| radial_v=14.55 ± 1.6

| prop_mo_ra=−30.15

| prop_mo_dec=−14.61

| parallax=8.85

| p_error=0.27

}}

{{Starbox detail

| source =

| component1 = Primary

| mass = 3.32 ± 0.51

| radius = 2.09 ± 0.12

| luminosity = 111 ± 21

| gravity = 4.3 ± 0.1

| temperature = 13000

| metal_fe =

| rotational_velocity =

| age_myr =

| component2 = Secondary

| mass2 = 2.37 ± 0.48

| radius2 = 1.67 ± 0.09

| luminosity2 = 37 ± 7

| gravity2 = 4.4 ± 0.1

| temperature2 = 10687 ± 52

| metal2_fe =

| rotational_velocity2 =

| age_myr2 =

}}

{{starbox catalog

| names=H Centauri, V945 Centauri, CD−50 7394, CPD−50 5596, CPC 0 10830, GC 17569, GCRV 7736, GSC 08258-01469, HD 112409, HIC 63210, HIP 63210, HR 4913, PPM 341451, SAO 240407

}}

{{Starbox reference|Simbad=H+Cen}}

{{starbox end}}

H Centauri (H Cen), also known as V945 Centauri, is probable triple star system located in the constellation Centaurus. From parallax measurements, it is located 113 parsecs (370 light years) from the Sun. It is a member of the Lower Centaurus–Crux (LCC) subgroup of the Scorpius–Centaurus association.{{cite journal|author=Chen, Christine H.|author2=Pecaut, Mark|author3=Mamajek, Eric E.|author4=Su, Kate Y. L.|author5=Bitner, Martin|title=A Spitzer MIPS Study of 2.5-2.0 M ⊙ Stars in Scorpius–Centaurus|journal=The Astrophysical Journal|volume=756|issue=2|pages= article 133, 24 pp|date=September 2012|bibcode=2012ApJ...756..133C|doi=10.1088/0004-637X/756/2/133|arxiv=1207.3415|s2cid=119278056}} It is faintly visible to the naked eye under good observing conditions.

H Centauri was discovered to be a variable star when the Hipparcos data was analyzed. It was given its variable star designation, V945 Centauri, in 1999. This system is a double-lined spectroscopic binary formed by two B-type main-sequence star with spectral types B7V and B8.5V. They are in a close (but detached) circular orbit with a period of 0.6496 days and a separation of 5.63 solar radii. Observed at an inclination of 24°, the system is an ellipsoidal variable whose apparent visual magnitude varies from 5.14 to 5.17 over the course of an orbit as the star's visible surface area changes. The system's spectrum contains a third set of spectral lines that are probably from a third star, also of type B.