Plaskett's star
Encyclopedia
Plaskett's Star (formal name HR 2422 Monocerotis or HR 2422) is a spectroscopic binary at a distance of around 6600 light-year
s. It is one of the most massive binary stars known, with a total mass of about one hundred times that of the Sun
.
Indeed, it was long thought to be the most massive known binary system, but since 2008 there is a body of opinion that Eta Carinae, which was previously thought to be a massive individual star, could be a binary system.
It is named after John Stanley Plaskett
, the Canadian astronomer who discovered its binary nature in 1922. Plaskett was assisted in his observations by his son, Harry Hemley Plaskett
. The star
has a visual magnitude of 6.05, and is located in the constellation
of Monoceros
.
It is sometimes known as Plaskett's Object since it is the object of largest known measurable mass.
Light-year
A light-year, also light year or lightyear is a unit of length, equal to just under 10 trillion kilometres...
s. It is one of the most massive binary stars known, with a total mass of about one hundred times that of 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...
.
Indeed, it was long thought to be the most massive known binary system, but since 2008 there is a body of opinion that Eta Carinae, which was previously thought to be a massive individual star, could be a binary system.
It is named after John Stanley Plaskett
John Stanley Plaskett
John Stanley Plaskett FRS was a Canadian astronomer.He worked as a machinist, and was offered a job as a mechanician at the Department of Physics at the University of Toronto, constructing apparatuses and assisting with demonstrations during lectures...
, the Canadian astronomer who discovered its binary nature in 1922. Plaskett was assisted in his observations by his son, Harry Hemley Plaskett
Harry Hemley Plaskett
Harry Hemley Plaskett was a Canadian astronomer who made significant contributions to the fields of solar physics, astronomical spectroscopy and spectrophotometry...
. The star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
has a visual magnitude of 6.05, and is located 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....
of Monoceros
Monoceros
Monoceros is a faint constellation on the celestial equator. Its name is Greek for unicorn. Its definition is attributed to the 17th-century Dutch cartographer Petrus Plancius. It is bordered by Orion to the west, Gemini to the north, Canis Major to the south and Hydra to the east...
.
It is sometimes known as Plaskett's Object since it is the object of largest known measurable mass.