Major stars found in the Phoenix constellation
Ankaa – α Phoenicis (Alpha Phoenicis)
Ankaa is the brightest star in the constellation. Alpha Phoenicis is a spectroscopic binary star approximately 77 light years
distant. The system has the combined stellar classification K0.5 IIIb and a combined apparent visual magnitude of 2.377. The two components in the sytsem orbit each other with a period of 3848.8 days (or 10.5 years). The primary star,
as the spectral class indicates, is an orange giant.
β Phoenicis (Beta Phoenicis)
It has a visual magnitude of 3.32 and is approximately 198 light years distant from the solar system. Beta Phoenicis is the second brightest star in Phoenix. Like Ankaa, it is a binary star. It is composed of two class G8 yellow giants with an apparent
magnitude of 4.0 and 4.1. The two stars orbit each other with a period of 168 years.
γ Phoenicis (Gamma Phoenicis)
Gamma Phoenicis is star of the spectral type M0IIIa, which is to say, it is a red giant. The star has a visual magnitude of 3.41 and is about 234 light years distant. Gamma Phoenicis is a variable star, with magnitude variations from 3.39 and 3.49.
κ Phoenicis (Kappa Phoenicis)
Kappa Phoenicis is located relatively close to Ankaa. It is a main sequence star of the spectral type A5Ivn. It has an apparent magnitude of 3.90 and is about 77 light years distant from the Sun.
ζ Phoenicis (Zeta Phoenicis)
Zeta Phoenicis is an eclipsing binary star classified as an Algol-type variable. Its visual magnitude varies between 3.9 and 4.4 over a period of 1.66977 days. Zeta Phoenicis is really a four star system. It has two other dim components
with a visual magnitude of 7.2 and 8.2 located 0.8 and 6.4 arc seconds away from
the primary star. The system has the stellar classification B6 V + B9 V. It is approximately 300 light years distant.
ν Phoenicis (Nu Phoenicis)
Nu Phoenicis is a main sequence dwarf of the spectral type F8 V. It has an apparent magnitude of 4.96 and is only 49.3 light years distant from Earth. It is believed to have a dust ring that extends several astronomical units from an inner edge that starts at 10 astronomical units.
SX Phoenicis
All SX Phoenicis variables located in globular clusters are blue stragglers, stars that have a higher temperature and as a result appear more blue than the main sequence stars in the same cluster that have similar luminosities.
HE0107-5240
HE0107-5240 is one of the most metal-poor stars known in the Milky Way. It has only 1/200,000 of the metal that the Sun has. The star’s low metallicity indicates that it is one of the oldest Population II stars to have formed. Population II stars are metal-poor stars that formed during an earlier time of the Universe and are believed to have created all the other elements in the periodic table other than the more unstable ones.
Gliese 915
Gliese 915 is a degenerate star, a white dwarf, located only 26.7 light years from the solar system. It is believed to be the 11th nearest white dwarf to the Sun (possibly 9th, 10th or 12th). It has a visual magnitude of 12.76.
Ankaa is the brightest star in the constellation. Alpha Phoenicis is a spectroscopic binary star approximately 77 light years
distant. The system has the combined stellar classification K0.5 IIIb and a combined apparent visual magnitude of 2.377. The two components in the sytsem orbit each other with a period of 3848.8 days (or 10.5 years). The primary star,
as the spectral class indicates, is an orange giant.
β Phoenicis (Beta Phoenicis)
It has a visual magnitude of 3.32 and is approximately 198 light years distant from the solar system. Beta Phoenicis is the second brightest star in Phoenix. Like Ankaa, it is a binary star. It is composed of two class G8 yellow giants with an apparent
magnitude of 4.0 and 4.1. The two stars orbit each other with a period of 168 years.
γ Phoenicis (Gamma Phoenicis)
Gamma Phoenicis is star of the spectral type M0IIIa, which is to say, it is a red giant. The star has a visual magnitude of 3.41 and is about 234 light years distant. Gamma Phoenicis is a variable star, with magnitude variations from 3.39 and 3.49.
κ Phoenicis (Kappa Phoenicis)
Kappa Phoenicis is located relatively close to Ankaa. It is a main sequence star of the spectral type A5Ivn. It has an apparent magnitude of 3.90 and is about 77 light years distant from the Sun.
ζ Phoenicis (Zeta Phoenicis)
Zeta Phoenicis is an eclipsing binary star classified as an Algol-type variable. Its visual magnitude varies between 3.9 and 4.4 over a period of 1.66977 days. Zeta Phoenicis is really a four star system. It has two other dim components
with a visual magnitude of 7.2 and 8.2 located 0.8 and 6.4 arc seconds away from
the primary star. The system has the stellar classification B6 V + B9 V. It is approximately 300 light years distant.
ν Phoenicis (Nu Phoenicis)
Nu Phoenicis is a main sequence dwarf of the spectral type F8 V. It has an apparent magnitude of 4.96 and is only 49.3 light years distant from Earth. It is believed to have a dust ring that extends several astronomical units from an inner edge that starts at 10 astronomical units.
SX Phoenicis
All SX Phoenicis variables located in globular clusters are blue stragglers, stars that have a higher temperature and as a result appear more blue than the main sequence stars in the same cluster that have similar luminosities.
HE0107-5240
HE0107-5240 is one of the most metal-poor stars known in the Milky Way. It has only 1/200,000 of the metal that the Sun has. The star’s low metallicity indicates that it is one of the oldest Population II stars to have formed. Population II stars are metal-poor stars that formed during an earlier time of the Universe and are believed to have created all the other elements in the periodic table other than the more unstable ones.
Gliese 915
Gliese 915 is a degenerate star, a white dwarf, located only 26.7 light years from the solar system. It is believed to be the 11th nearest white dwarf to the Sun (possibly 9th, 10th or 12th). It has a visual magnitude of 12.76.
Location of constellation, sizes and brightness of stars
This map states that the phoenix constellation is located in the southern skies near the Tucana, Grus, Hydrus, Reticulum, Horologium, Eridanus, Fornax and Sculptor constellations. It also provides us with the sizes and brightness of the stars, the biggest and brightest star in the Phoenix constellation is the Ankaa as in this map it is a 1. The second biggest and brightest star in the constellation is the β Phoenicis (Beta Phoenicis) as in this map it is a 2 along with γ Phoenicis (Gamma Phoenicis), κ Phoenicis (Kappa Phoenicis) and ζ Phoenicis (Zeta Phoenicis). The ν Phoenicis (Nu Phoenicis) and Gliese 915 (Dwarf) are 5 in this map, making them the dimest and smallest major stars in the Phoenix constellation. Phoenix is the 37th constellation in size, occupying an area of 469 square
degrees. It is located in the first quadrant of the southern hemisphere (SQ1) and can
be seen at latitudes between +32° and -80°.
degrees. It is located in the first quadrant of the southern hemisphere (SQ1) and can
be seen at latitudes between +32° and -80°.
Distance between stars and earth
Star Designation Name Magnitude Distance (light years) Spectral classification
α
Phe alpha Phoenicis Ankaa +2.4 77 Orange giant
β
Phe beta Phoenicis HD 6595 +3.3 200 Binary system
γ
Phe gamma Phoenicis HD 9053 +3.4 230 Orange giant
ζ
Phe zeta Phoenicis HD 6882 +4 200 Binary system
κ
Phe kappa Phoenicis HD 2262 +3.9 77 White dwarf
ν
Phe nu Phoenicis HD 7570 +5 49 Yellow-whitedwarf/has a dust disk
α
Phe alpha Phoenicis Ankaa +2.4 77 Orange giant
β
Phe beta Phoenicis HD 6595 +3.3 200 Binary system
γ
Phe gamma Phoenicis HD 9053 +3.4 230 Orange giant
ζ
Phe zeta Phoenicis HD 6882 +4 200 Binary system
κ
Phe kappa Phoenicis HD 2262 +3.9 77 White dwarf
ν
Phe nu Phoenicis HD 7570 +5 49 Yellow-whitedwarf/has a dust disk