Theta Antliae

θ Antliae
Location of θ Antliae (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Antlia
Right ascension 09h 44m 12.09512s
Declination −27° 46 10.1011
Apparent magnitude (V) 4.79
Characteristics
Spectral type A8 Vm + G7 III
U−B color index +0.35
B−V color index +0.50
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)+24.0 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −53.23 mas/yr
Dec.: +37.24 mas/yr
Parallax (π)9.61±0.46 mas
Distance340 ± 20 ly
(104 ± 5 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)−0.30
Orbit
Companionθ Ant B
Period (P)18.266±0.185 yr
Semi-major axis (a)0.110±0.002″
Eccentricity (e)0.404±0.005
Inclination (i)123.6±1.0°
Longitude of the node (Ω)3.5±1.0°
Periastron epoch (T)2020.143±0.200
Argument of periastron (ω)
(secondary)
141.2±3.0°
Details
θ Ant A
Mass1.8±0.1 M
θ Ant B
Mass2.1±0.5 M
Other designations
θ Antliae, Tet Ant, θ Ant, CD−27 6881, FK5 366, HD 84367, HIP 47758, HR 3871, SAO 177908, PPM 256646
Database references
SIMBADdata

Theta Antliae is a binary star system in the southern constellation of Antlia. Its identifier is a Bayer designation that was Latinized from θ Antliae, and is abbreviated Tet Ant or θ Ant, respectively. The pair have a combined apparent visual magnitude of +4.78, which is bright enough to be faintly visible to the naked eye. The brighter component is magnitude +5.30 while the secondary is +6.18. Based upon parallax measurements, it is located at a distance of around 340 light-years (104 parsecs) from Earth. The system is receding with a heliocentric radial velocity of +24 km/s.

The binary nature of this system was discovered by W. S. Finsen in 1952. The primary component of this system, θ Antliae A, has a stellar classification of A8 Vm, indicating that it is an A-type main sequence star with enhanced metallic lines in its spectrum. The companion, θ Antliae B, is a giant star with a classification of G7 III. The pair have an orbital period of 18.3 years, a significant eccentricity of 0.4, and an angular separation of 0.1 arcseconds.