Alcyone

Alcyone is the brightest star in the Pleiades open star cluster.

Alcyone
M 45 (Pleiades)
Credit: NASA, ESA, AURA/Caltech, Palomar Observatory

Facts About Alcyone:

  • The main star, Alcyone A, is a blue-white B-type giant similar to many others in the Pleiades cluster. Its radius is almost 10x the Sun.
  • The two stars in the binary system are about the same distance apart as the Sun and Jupiter.
  • The binary star is orbited by three companions: Alcyone B (A-type dwarf), Alcyone C (A-type dwarf) & Alcyone D (yellow-white F-type dwarf).
Classification: Star System, eclipsing binary with 3 companions
Names:  Eta Tauri, 25 Tau, HR 1165, HD 23630, BD+23 541, FK5 139, HIP 17702, SAO 76199, GC 4541, BDS 1875, C ...
Constellation:  Taurus
Distance:  3.50e+15 km (370 ly)
Naming:  Greek mythological figure Alcyone, one of the Pleiades.
Magnitude:  2.8730 (app) -2.3900 (abs)
Luminosity:  2400.0000 W
Surface Temperature:  13000 K
Surface Gravity:  3.5000 g
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