Alpha Phoenicis
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Alpha Phoenicis (α Phoenicis, abbreviated Alpha Phe or α Phe), formally named Ankaa Template:IPAc-en,<ref name=Kunitzsch/> (with the same pronunciation) is the brightest star in the constellation of Phoenix.
NomenclatureEdit
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 الزورقnayyir 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, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), meaning Firebird, refers to an asterism consisting of α Phoenicis, ι Phoenicis, σ Phoenicis, ε Phoenicis, κ Phoenicis, μ Phoenicis, λ1 Phoenicis, β Phoenicis and γ Phoenicis . Consequently, α Phoenicis itself is known as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Template:Langx.)<ref>Template:In lang AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 7 月 27 日 Template:Webarchive</ref>
DescriptionEdit
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 Austrinus). Based upon parallax measurements, this system is at a distance of about Template:Convert from the Earth.<ref name=aaa474_2_653/> The interferometry-measured angular diameter of the primary component, after correcting for limb darkening, is Template:Val,<ref name=aaa431_773/> which, at its estimated distance, equates to a physical radius of about 15 times the radius of the Sun.<ref name=lang2006/>
ReferencesEdit
Template:Reflist{0.0046491\ \text{AU}/R_{\bigodot}} \\
& \approx 29.4\cdot R_{\bigodot}
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