Alpha Doradus in the context of "Light curve"

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⭐ Core Definition: Alpha Doradus

Alpha Doradus, Latinized from α Doradus, is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Dorado. The distance to this system, as measured using the parallax method, is about 169 light-years (52 parsecs).

This is a binary star system with an overall apparent visual magnitude that varies between 3.26 and 3.30, making this one of the brightest naked-eye binary stars. The system consists of a subgiant star of spectral type B revolving around a giant star with spectral type A in an eccentric orbit with a period of about 12 years. The orbital separation varies from 2 astronomical units at periastron to 17.5 astronomical units at apastron. The primary, α Doradus A, is a chemically peculiar star whose atmosphere displays an abnormally high abundance of silicon, making this an Si star.

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Alpha Doradus in the context of SN 1987A

SN 1987A was a Type II supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. It occurred approximately 51.4 kiloparsecs (168,000 light-years) from Earth and was the closest observed supernova since Kepler's Supernova in 1604. Light and neutrinos from the explosion reached Earth on February 23, 1987, and it was designated "SN 1987A" as the first supernova discovered that year. Its brightness peaked in May of that year, with an apparent magnitude of about 3, brighter than the constellation's brightest star, Alpha Doradus.

It was the first supernova that modern astronomers were able to study in great detail, and its observations have provided much insight into core-collapse supernovae. SN 1987A provided the first opportunity to confirm by direct observation the radioactive source of the energy for visible light emissions, by detecting predicted gamma-ray line radiation from two of its abundant radioactive nuclei. This proved the radioactive nature of the long-duration post-explosion glow of supernovae.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← SN 1987A
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Romanization of Greek → Star → Constellation → Dorado → Parallax → Light-year → Parsec → Light curve → Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite → Binary star → Apparent visual magnitude → Subgiant → Spectral type → Giant star → Orbit → Astronomical unit → Periastron → Apastron → Chemically peculiar star → Silicon →