An mK = 7.8 star may enter the Einstein ring of alpha Cen A in 2028 (2016)

by divbzero • 4 years ago

7 5 4 years ago

Buraksr• 4 years ago

I could be reading this wrong but it looks like the star is likely to come close, and the uncertainty is such that they may even collide.

“ An exceptional event will take place in early May 2028, when alpha Cen A will come within 0.015 +/- 0.135 arcseconds of the mK = 7.8 star 2MASS 14392160-6049528 (hereafter S5). In terms of impact parameter and contrast, this is the most favorable stellar conjunction of alpha Cen within at least the next three decades. With an angular diameter of LD = 0.47 +/- 0.05 mas, it is likely that S5 is a red giant or supergiant located at several kiloparsecs.”

yongjik• 4 years ago

I believe they are coming close when viewed from the Earth - that is, the second star (S5) may come directly behind Alpha Centauri. Alpha Centauri is only 1.3 parsecs from us, so it's actually much closer to us than S5.

tomtom1337• 4 years ago

Thank you! Arcsecond is a 2d measurement! One star is coming within a small distance of the other star when looking at the projected image!

dilippkumar• 4 years ago

The proper motion, orbital parameters and parallax of alpha Cen will be measurable with an extreme accuracy from differential astrometry with the S stars. This will be valuable, for example to prepare the Breakthrough Starshot initiative to send interstellar nanocrafts to alpha Centauri.

I’ve never heard of the Breakthrough Starshot initiative. Can someone here please point me to some more details about this?

divbzero• 4 years ago

It is one of several Breakthrough Initiatives [1] established by Julia and Yuri Milner. Breakthrough Starshot [2] aims to send a fleet of extremely small probes to Alpha Centauri in a flyby mission.

(Another initiative, Breakthrough Enceladus, would send a probe to the Saturn moon but I cannot find information about whether this is an active ongoing effort.)

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakthrough_Initiatives

[2] https://breakthroughinitiatives.org/initiative/3

An mK = 7.8 star may enter the Einstein ring of alpha Cen A in 2028 (2016)

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