Lesson plan
E Centauri
E Centauri is a single star in the southern constellation of Centaurus. It is a white-hued star that is dimly visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of +5.34. The distance to this object is approximately 560 light years based on parallax, and it has an absolute magnitude of −0.97. It is drifting closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of +7 km/s, and it is a candidate member of the Lower Centaurus Crux subgroup of the Sco OB2 association. This is a late B- or early A-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of B9.5/A0V, which indicates it is generating energy via core hydrogen fusion. It has 3.4 times the mass of the Sun and is spinning with a projected rotational velocity of 74 km/s. The star is radiating 302 times the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 9,886 K.
Article summary
E Centauri is a single star in the southern constellation of Centaurus. It is a white-hued star that is dimly visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of +5.34. The distance to this object is approximately 560 light years based on parallax, and it has an absolute magnitude of −0.97. It is drifting closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of +7 km/s, and it is a candidate member of the Lower Centaurus Crux subgroup of the Sco OB2 association. This is a late B- or early A-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of B9.5/A0V, which indicates it is generating energy via core hydrogen fusion. It has 3.4 times the mass of the Sun and is spinning with a projected rotational velocity of 74 km/s. The star is radiating 302 times the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 9,886 K.
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.