Beta Pictoris moving group
| β Pic Moving Group | |
|---|---|
| Observation data | |
| Distance | 115 ly (35 pc) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Estimated age | 20—26 Ma |
The Beta Pictoris Moving Group is a young moving group of stars located relatively near Earth. A moving group, in astronomy, is a group of stars that share a common motion through space as well as a common origin. This moving group is named for Beta Pictoris.
The Beta Pictoris Moving Group is an important object for astronomical study as it is the closest youthful group of stars to the Earth. The star Beta Pictoris is known to have a large disk of gas and dust, possibly a protoplanetary disk. There is also evidence of a young gas giant planet around the star. A free-floating planet has also been found in the moving group, PSO J318.5-22. The age and distance of the group makes it a candidate for directly imaging extrasolar planets.
The Beta Pictoris Moving Group consists of 17 stellar systems, comprising a total of 28 individual component stars, including identified brown dwarfs. The core of the group is located some 115 light-years from Earth, and has an average estimated age of between 20 and 26 million years.
The majority of the group is made up of cool, dim K and M class stars. Most are not visible to the naked eye. The members that are visible to the naked eye are:
The group covers a region of space for the most part visible only in the Southern Hemisphere, and lies in the constellations Eridanus, Lepus, Pictor, Scorpius, Fornax, Triangulum Australe and Telescopium.
...
Wikipedia