HD 211415
Encyclopedia
HD 211415 is a binary star
system in the constellation
Grus
. It has a relatively high proper motion
and is located about 44 light years from the Sun
.
These two stars have an orbit with a semi-major axis
of 3.4″, which is approximately equal to 46 A.U.s. This is larger than the orbit of Pluto
around our Sun, which has a semi-major axis of 39.5 A.U. This system has not been observed for a sufficient length of time to establish the remaining orbital parameters with sufficient precision.
from the University of Arizona
in Tucson as one of the most promising nearby candidates for hosting life based on her analysis of the HabCat
list of stars.
Binary star
A binary star is a star system consisting of two stars orbiting around their common center of mass. The brighter star is called the primary and the other is its companion star, comes, or secondary...
system in the constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
Grus
Grus (constellation)
Grus is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for the crane, a species of bird. It was introduced in the late sixteenth century.-History:The stars that form Grus were originally considered part of Piscis Austrinus...
. It has a relatively high proper motion
Proper motion
The proper motion of a star is its angular change in position over time as seen from the center of mass of the solar system. It is measured in seconds of arc per year, arcsec/yr, where 3600 arcseconds equal one degree. This contrasts with radial velocity, which is the time rate of change in...
and is located about 44 light years from the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
.
These two stars have an orbit with a semi-major axis
Semi-major axis
The major axis of an ellipse is its longest diameter, a line that runs through the centre and both foci, its ends being at the widest points of the shape...
of 3.4″, which is approximately equal to 46 A.U.s. This is larger than the orbit of Pluto
Pluto
Pluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...
around our Sun, which has a semi-major axis of 39.5 A.U. This system has not been observed for a sufficient length of time to establish the remaining orbital parameters with sufficient precision.
Possibility of planets and life
HD 211415 was identified in September 2003 by astrobiologist Margaret TurnbullMargaret Turnbull
Margaret Carol Turnbull is an American astronomer. She received her PhD in Astronomy from the University of Arizona in 2004. Turnbull is an authority on "Habstars," solar twins and planetary habitability....
from the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
in Tucson as one of the most promising nearby candidates for hosting life based on her analysis of the HabCat
HabCat
The Catalog of Nearby Habitable Systems is a catalogue of star systems which conceivably have habitable planets. The list was developed by scientists Jill Tarter and Margaret Turnbull under the auspices of Project Phoenix, a part of SETI....
list of stars.