Tau3_Eridani
Tau3 Eridani
A-type star in the constellation Eridanus
Tau3 Eridani, Latinized from τ3 Eridani, is a star in the constellation Eridanus. It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.10.[2] Using the parallax method,[1] the distance to this star can be estimated as 88.6 light years. In 2001 it was reported as a candidate Vega-like star, meaning it appears to radiate an infrared excess from an orbiting circumstellar disk.[11] However, this has not been confirmed.[12]
This is an A-type star with a stellar classification of A3 IV-V.[3] The luminosity class of IV-V indicates the spectrum displays traits intermediate between a main sequence and subgiant star. It is around 476[6] million years old and is spinning rapidly with a projected rotational velocity of 133 km/s.[9] This is creating an equatorial bulge that might be 7% wider than the polar radius.[13] Tau3 Eridani has 178%[6] of the Sun's mass and nearly double the radius of the Sun.[7] The star shines with 13.7 times the solar luminosity from an outer atmosphere at an effective temperature of 8,251 K.[6]