Zeta1 Scorpii (Zeta1 Sco, ζ1 Scorpii, ζ1 Sco) is a B-type hypergiant star in the constellation of Scorpius.[9] It has an apparent visual magnitude which varies between 4.66 and 4.86.[3] It is a member of the Scorpius OB1 association, and potentially of the open star cluster NGC 6231,[11] also known as the "Northern jewel box" cluster. Around 36 times as massive as the Sun, it is also one of the most luminous stars known in the Galaxy, with an estimated bolometric luminosity of around 850,000 times that of the Sun and a radius 103 times that of the Sun.[4]

ζ1 Scorpii
Location of ζ1 Scorpii (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation Scorpius
Right ascension 16h 53m 59.72713s[1]
Declination −42° 21′ 43.3073″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 4.705[2] (4.66 to 4.86)[3]
Characteristics
Spectral type B1.5 Iae[4]
U−B color index −0.567[2]
B−V color index +0.480[2]
Variable type cLBV[5]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−26.0[6] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −0.094 mas/yr[1]
Dec.: −3.368 mas/yr[1]
Parallax (π)0.5855 ± 0.1176 mas[1]
Distanceapprox. 6,000 ly
(approx. 1,700 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)−8.5[4]
Details
Mass36 to 53[4] M
Radius103 to 125.5[4] R
Luminosity (bolometric)8.5×105 to 1.26×106[4] L
Surface gravity (log g)1.7[4] cgs
Temperature17,200[4] K
Rotational velocity (v sin i)60[7] km/s
Age6.5 ± 0.1[8] Myr
Other designations
ζ1 Sco, CD−42 11633, CPD−42 7545, GC 22730, HD 152236, HIP 82671, HR 6262, PPM 322342, SAO 227375.[9]
Database references
SIMBADdata
ζ1 Scorpii alongside the brighter ζ2 Scorpii to the south of NGC 6231
A visual band light curve for Zeta1 Scorpii, adapted from Sterken et al. (1997).[10] The inset plot shows the long term variability. The purple arrow shows the brightness reported by al-Sufi in A.D. 962.

The stellar wind from this supergiant is expelling matter from the star at the rate of 1.55 × 10−6 solar masses per year, or roughly the equivalent to the Sun's mass every 640,000 years.[4]

ζ1 Scorpii forms a naked eye double with ζ2 Scorpii, but the stars are merely coincidentally near in the line of sight from Earth. ζ2 is a mere 135 light-years distant and much less luminous in real terms. ζ1 Scorpii can also be distinguished from ζ2, due to the latter's orange hue especially in long-exposure photographs.

ζ1 Scorpii is a candidate luminous blue variable (cLBV), a star with the luminosity and spectral appearance of an LBV, but one that has not yet shown the characteristic types of variability.[5] It has been classified as dormant or ex-S Doradus variable, an older name for LBVs.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d 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.
  2. ^ a b c Kozok, J. R. (September 1985), "Photometric observations of emission B-stars in the southern Milky Way", Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series, 61: 387–405, Bibcode:1985A&AS...61..387K
  3. ^ a b zet 1 Sco, database entry, The combined table of GCVS Vols I-III and NL 67-78 with improved coordinates, General Catalogue of Variable Stars Archived 2017-06-20 at the Wayback Machine, Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Moscow, Russia. Accessed on line November 20, 2009. (Quick look: Zet+1+Sco Archived 2012-03-07 at the Wayback Machine)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Clark, J. S.; Najarro, F.; Negueruela, I.; Ritchie, B. W.; Urbaneja, M. A.; Howarth, I. D. (2012). "On the nature of the galactic early-B hypergiants". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 541: A145. arXiv:1202.3991. Bibcode:2012A&A...541A.145C. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201117472. S2CID 11978733.
  5. ^ a b Nazé, Y.; Rauw, G.; Hutsemékers, D. (2012). "The first X-ray survey of Galactic luminous blue variables". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 538: A47. arXiv:1111.6375. Bibcode:2012A&A...538A..47N. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201118040. S2CID 43688343.
  6. ^ Evans, D. S. (June 20–24, 1966), "The Revision of the General Catalogue of Radial Velocities", in Batten, Alan Henry; Heard, John Frederick (eds.), Determination of Radial Velocities and their Applications, Proceedings from IAU Symposium no. 30, vol. 30, University of Toronto: International Astronomical Union, p. 57, Bibcode:1967IAUS...30...57E
  7. ^ Bernacca, P. L.; Perinotto, M. (1970), "A catalogue of stellar rotational velocities", Contributi Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova in Asiago, 239 (1): 1, Bibcode:1970CoAsi.239....1B
  8. ^ 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
  9. ^ a b HIP 82671 -- Emission-line Star, database entry, SIMBAD. Accessed on line November 20, 2009.
  10. ^ Sterken, C.; de Groot, M.; van Genderen, A. M. (October 1997). "Cyclicities in the light variations of LBVs I. The multi-periodic behaviour of the LBV candidate ζ1 Sco". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 326: 640–646. Bibcode:1997A&A...326..640S. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  11. ^ Zeta-1 Sco Archived 2009-10-17 at the Wayback Machine, Stars, Jim Kaler. Accessed on line November 20, 2009.
  12. ^ Van Genderen, A. M. (2001). "S Doradus variables in the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 366 (2): 508–531. Bibcode:2001A&A...366..508V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20000022.