Beta Lacertae

β Lacertae
Location of β Lacertae (circled in red)
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox ICRS
Constellation Lacerta
Right ascension 22h 23m 33.624s[1]
Declination +52° 13′ 44.56″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 4.43[2]
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage red clump[3]
Spectral type G8 III[4]
U−B color index +0.77[5]
B−V color index +1.02[5]
V−R color index 0.6[2]
R−I color index +0.57[5]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−10.4 ± 0.9[2] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −13.25±0.13[1] mas/yr
Dec.: −186.77±0.13[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)19.19±0.16 mas[1]
Distance170 ± 1 ly
(52.1 ± 0.4 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)+0.67[6]
Details[6]
Mass0.97±0.21[4] M☉
Radius10.96±0.23[4] R☉
Luminosity57.7±3.0[4] L☉
Surface gravity (log g)2.43 cgs
Temperature4803±75[4] K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.33 dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)< 17[5] km/s
Age6.76±3.59[4] Gyr
Other designations
Alsamaka, β Lac, 3 Lac, BD+51 3358, FK5 844, GC 31310, HD 212496, HIP 110538, HR 8538, SAO 34395, PPM 40598, NLTT 53741[2]
Database references
SIMBADdata

Beta Lacertae, also named Alsamaka,[7] is the fourth-brightest star in the constellation of Lacerta. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 19.19 mas,[1] it is 170 light-years distant from Earth. At that distance, the visual magnitude is diminished by an extinction factor of 0.17 due to interstellar dust.[6]

β Lacertae in optical light

This is an evolved G-type giant with an apparent visual magnitude of approximately 4.43.[2] It is a red clump[3] star and the primary component of a suspected binary system, with the pair having an angular separation of 0.2 arcsecond.[8]

Nomenclature

Beta Lacertae (Latinized from β Lacertae, abbreviated Beta Lac, β Lac) is the star's Bayer designation. It was part of the Arabic asterism Al-Samaka al-Ṣuġrā (السمكة الصغرى "the smaller fish") in Lacerta and Andromeda. The IAU Working Group on Star Names adopted the name Alsamaka (lit. "the fish") for this star on 13 August 2026.[7]

In Chinese astronomy, 螣蛇 (Téng Shé), meaning Flying Serpent, refers to an asterism consisting of β Lacertae, α Lacertae, 4 Lacertae, π2 Cygni, π1 Cygni, HD 206267, ε Cephei, σ Cassiopeiae, ρ Cassiopeiae, τ Cassiopeiae, AR Cassiopeiae, 9 Lacertae, 3 Andromedae, 7 Andromedae, 8 Andromedae, λ Andromedae, κ Andromedae, ι Andromedae and ψ Andromedae. Consequently, the Chinese name for β Lacertae itself is 螣蛇十 (Téng Shé shí, English: the Tenth Star of Flying Serpent).[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 van Leeuwen, F. (2007). "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 474 (2): 653–664. arXiv:0708.1752. Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357. S2CID 18759600.Vizier catalog entry
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "bet Lac". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved November 17, 2008.
  3. 1 2 Mishenina, T. V.; et al. (September 2006), "Elemental abundances in the atmosphere of clump giants", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 456 (3): 1109–1120, arXiv:astro-ph/0605615, Bibcode:2006A&A...456.1109M, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20065141, S2CID 18764566.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Baines, Ellyn K.; et al. (2018). "Fundamental Parameters of 87 Stars from the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer". The Astronomical Journal. 155 (1). 30. arXiv:1712.08109. Bibcode:2018AJ....155...30B. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aa9d8b. S2CID 119427037.
  5. 1 2 3 4 HR 8538, database entry, The Bright Star Catalogue, 5th Revised Ed. (Preliminary Version), D. Hoffleit and W. H. Warren, Jr., CDS ID V/50. Accessed on line November 17, 2008.
  6. 1 2 3 Takeda, Yoichi; et al. (August 2008), "Stellar Parameters and Elemental Abundances of Late-G Giants", Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan, 60 (4): 781–802, arXiv:0805.2434, Bibcode:2008PASJ...60..781T, doi:10.1093/pasj/60.4.781, S2CID 16258166.
  7. 1 2 "IAU Catalog of Star Names". Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  8. ↑ Eggleton, P. P.; Tokovinin, A. A. (September 2008), "A catalogue of multiplicity among bright stellar systems", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 389 (2): 869–879, arXiv:0806.2878, Bibcode:2008MNRAS.389..869E, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13596.x, S2CID 14878976.
  9. ↑ (in Chinese) AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 7 月 7 日 Archived 2011-05-21 at the Wayback Machine