Zeta Leonis (ζ Leonis, abbreviated Zeta Leo, ζ Leo), also named Adhafera ,
is a third-magnitude
star in the
constellation of
Leo, the lion. It forms the second star (after
Gamma Leonis
Gamma Leonis (γ Leonis, abbreviated Gamma Leo, γ Leo), also named Algieba , is a binary star system in the constellation of Leo. In 2009, a planetary companion around the primary was announced.
Nomenclature
''γ Leonis'' ( Lati ...
) in the blade of
the sickle, which is an
asterism formed from the head of Leo.
[
]
Nomenclature
''ζ Leonis'' ( Latinised to ''Zeta Leonis'') is the star's Bayer designation. It has the traditional name ''Adhafera'' (''Aldhafera'', ''Adhafara''), which comes from the Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
''الضفيرة'' ''aḍ-ḍafīrah'' 'the braid/curl', a reference to its position in the lion's mane. In 2016, the International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreac ...
organized a Working Group on Star Names
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) established a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) in May 2016 to catalog and standardize proper names for stars for the international astronomical community. It operates under Division C – Education ...
(WGSN)
Properties
Adhafera is a giant star
A giant star is a star with substantially larger radius and luminosity than a main-sequence (or ''dwarf'') star of the same surface temperature.Giant star, entry in ''Astronomy Encyclopedia'', ed. Patrick Moore, New York: Oxford University Press ...
with a stellar classification of F0 III. Since 1943, the spectrum
A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors ...
of this star has served as one of the stable anchor points by which other stars are classified.[ Its ]apparent magnitude
Apparent magnitude () is a measure of the brightness of a star or other astronomical object observed from Earth. An object's apparent magnitude depends on its intrinsic luminosity, its distance from Earth, and any extinction of the object's ...
is +3.44, making it relatively faint for a star that is visible to the naked eye. Nevertheless, it shines with 85 times the luminosity of the Sun.[ Adhafera has about three times the Sun's mass][ Parallax measurements from the Hipparcos satellite yield an estimated distance to Adhafera of ][ from the ]Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...
.
Adhafera forms a double star with an optical companion that has an apparent magnitude of 5.90. Known as 35 Leonis, this star is separated from Adhafera by 325.9 arcseconds
A minute of arc, arcminute (arcmin), arc minute, or minute arc, denoted by the symbol , is a unit of angular measurement equal to of one degree. Since one degree is of a turn (or complete rotation), one minute of arc is of a turn. The ...
along a position angle
In astronomy, position angle (usually abbreviated PA) is the convention for measuring angles on the sky. The International Astronomical Union defines it as the angle measured relative to the north celestial pole (NCP), turning positive into the ...
of 340°.
See also
* Lists of stars
The following are lists of stars. These are astronomical objects that spend some portion of their existence generating energy through thermonuclear fusion.
By location
* Lists of stars by constellation
By name
* List of traditional star names
...
in the constellation Leo
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zeta Leonis
Leo (constellation)
Leonis, Zeta
Adhafera
F-type giants
Leonis, 36
050335
Suspected variables
4031
089025
Durchmusterung objects