Pi (3) Orionis
Aug. 20th, 2010 09:21 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jude_rookIt’s not known for sure if Pi (3) Orionis is a singleton or multiple star system. Assuming the former, it’s an F6V star, about 26 light years away, with no known planets. Estimates of its metallicity are all over the place (20 to 151 percent!) It appears to be under 2 billion years old.
The reason for the (3) in this star’s name is that while most Greek-letter/constellation designations are given to a single star, “Pi Orionis” refers to a number of unrelated stars that appear close together as seen from Earth and make up Orion‘s shield.
The reason for the (3) in this star’s name is that while most Greek-letter/constellation designations are given to a single star, “Pi Orionis” refers to a number of unrelated stars that appear close together as seen from Earth and make up Orion‘s shield.