Alpha Phoenicis

{{Short description|Orange-hued star in the constellation Phoenix}} {{Hatnote group| {{Redirect|Ankaa|the album|Ankaa (album)}} {{Distinguish|text=Ancha, a star in Aquarius}} }} {{Starbox begin | name=Alpha Phoenicis }} {{Starbox image | image= {{Location mark |image=Phoenix constellation map.svg|alt=|float=center|width=280 |label=|position=right |mark=Red circle.svg|mark_width=12|mark_link=α Phoenicis |x=564|y=190 }} |caption=Location of α Phoenicis (circled) }} {{Starbox observe | epoch = J2000 | constell = Phoenix | ra = {{RA|00|26|17.06309}}<ref name=dr3/> | dec = {{DEC|-42|18|21.7712}}<ref name=dr3/> | appmag_v = 2.377<ref name=sps1966/> }} {{Starbox character | class = K0.5 IIIb<ref name=aj132_1_161/> | b-v = +1.092<ref name=sps1966/> | u-b = +0.903<ref name=sps1966/> | variable = }} {{Starbox astrometry | radial_v = +74.6<ref name=rgcrv/> | prop_mo_ra = +176.268<ref name=dr3/> | prop_mo_dec = −398.872<ref name=dr3/> | parallax = 39.9183 | p_error = 0.7283 | parallax_footnote = <ref name=dr3/> | absmag_v = 0.52<ref name=Cardini2005/><ref name=Rudrasingam2026/> }} {{Starbox orbit | reference = <ref name=aaa442_1_365/> | primary = | name = | period_unitless = 3848.8 days | axis =  | axis_unitless = {{val|103.5|ul=mas}}{{efn|group=note|This is the photocentric semi-major axis, from the motion shown by the observed "star" relative to distant objects, and in practice relative to the barycentre. This is always smaller than the orbital semi-major axis, dramatically smaller when the primary star is much more massive than the secondary or when it is not much brighter.}} | eccentricity = 0.34 | inclination = {{val|128.0|5.4}} | node = {{val|242.8|3.9}} | periastron = 2416201.8 HJD | periarg_primary = 19.8 | k1 =  | k2 =  }} {{Starbox detail | mass = {{val|0.96|0.07}}<ref name=Rudrasingam2026/> | radius = {{val|13.39|0.29}}<ref name=Rudrasingam2026/> | luminosity = 83<ref name=charbonnel2020/> | temperature = {{Val|4770|250|fmt=commas}}<ref name=Rudrasingam2026/> | gravity = 2.53<ref name=aj132_1_161/> | metal_fe = −0.73<ref name=aj132_1_161/> | rotational_velocity = 1.0<ref name=costa2002/> | age = }} {{Starbox catalog | names=Ankaa, Nair al Zaurak, Cymbae, Lucida Cymbae, CD−42°116, FK5 12, GCTP 71.00, HIP 2081, HR 99, HD 2261, LTT 231, SAO 215093.<ref name=SIMBAD/> }} {{Starbox reference | Simbad = alf+Phe }} {{Starbox end}}

'''Alpha Phoenicis''' ('''α Phoenicis''', abbreviated '''Alpha Phe''' or '''α Phe'''), formally named '''Ankaa''' {{IPAc-en|'|æ|N|k|@}},<ref name=Kunitzsch/> (with the same pronunciation) is the brightest star in the constellation of Phoenix.

== Nomenclature == ''Alpha Phoenicis'' is the star's Bayer designation. It also bore the traditional name ''Ankaa'' sometime after 1800, from the Arabic العنقاء ''al-ʽanqāʼ'' "the phoenix" for the name of the constellation.<ref name=Kunitzsch/> The International Astronomical Union has formally adopted the ''Ankaa'' as the proper name for Alpha Phoenicis.<ref name=iau/>

Medieval Arab astronomers formed the constellation of the dhow (where Phoenix is), so another popular name for the star is ''Nair al Zaurak''<ref name=allen1899/> from نائر الزورق ''nayyir az-zawraq'' "the bright (star) of the skiff". The Latin translation is ''Cymbae,'' from ''lūcida cumbae''.<ref name=allen1899/>

In Chinese caused by adaptation of the European southern hemisphere constellations into the Chinese system, {{lang|zh|火鳥}} ({{lang|zh-Latn|Huǒ Niǎo}}), meaning ''Firebird'', refers to an asterism consisting of α Phoenicis, ι Phoenicis, σ Phoenicis, ε Phoenicis, κ Phoenicis, μ Phoenicis, λ<sup>1</sup> Phoenicis, β Phoenicis and γ Phoenicis . Consequently, α Phoenicis itself is known as {{lang|zh|火鳥六}} ({{lang|zh-Latn|Huǒ Niǎo liù}}, {{langx|en|the Sixth Star of Firebird}}.)<ref>{{in lang|zh}} [http://aeea.nmns.edu.tw/2006/0607/ap060727.html AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 7 月 27 日] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522003318/http://aeea.nmns.edu.tw/2006/0607/ap060727.html |date=2011-05-22 }}</ref>

==Description== Alpha Phoenicis is a spectroscopic binary star system with components that orbit each other every 3,848.8 days (10.5 years).<ref name=aaa442_1_365/> The combined stellar classification of the system is K0.5 IIIb,<ref name=aj132_1_161/> which matches the spectrum of a normal luminosity giant star. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 2.4,<ref name=sps1966/> so it is somewhat outshone by its first magnitude neighbors Achernar (α Eridani) and Fomalhaut (α Piscis Austrini). Based upon parallax measurements, this system is at a distance of about {{Convert|85|ly|pc|abbr=off|lk=on}} from the Earth.<ref name=aaa474_2_653/>

==Notes== {{notelist|group=note}}

==References== {{reflist|30em|refs=

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<ref name=SIMBAD>{{citation | title=alf Phe -- Spectroscopic binary | work=SIMBAD | publisher=Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg | url=http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=Alpha+Phoenicis | access-date=2012-01-09 }}</ref>

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}}

Phoenicis, Alpha Category:K-type giants Category:Phoenix (constellation) Category:Spectroscopic binaries Ankaa 002081 0099 002261 Category:Durchmusterung objects Category:Lucidae Category:Brightest stars