Epsilon Indi
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Template:Astrobox begin Template:Star listings Template:Astrobox end Epsilon Indi (ε Ind / ε Indi) is a star approximately 11.82 light years from Earth's solar system. It is also known as HD 209100, HR 8387, CP−57°10015, GCTP 5314.00, LHS 67 and UGPMF 544.
In January 2003, astronomers announced the discovery of a brown dwarf with a mass of 47±10 Jupiter masses in orbit around Epsilon Indi at a distance of about 1500 AU. In August of 2003, astronomers discovered that this brown dwarf was actually a binary brown dwarf with a separation of about 2.5 AU. The smaller brown dwarf has a mass of 28±7 Jupiter masses.
As seen from Epsilon Indi, the Sun is a 2nd-magnitude star in Ursa Major, near the bowl of the Big Dipper.
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Some facts about Epsilon Indi
- Parallax: 0.276 arcsecs
- Spectral type: K5 V
- Radial velocity: -40 km/s
- Proper Motion: 4.7 arcsec/year
- Apparent Visual Magnitude: 4.69
- Absolute Visual Magnitude: 6.89
- Luminosity: 0.27 Solar Luminosities
Epsilon Indi in fiction
Epsilon Indi is held by many Star Trek fans to be the home star system of the Andorian race. The star system also made an appearance in the Star Trek Original Series episode And the Children Shall Lead, where Epsilon Indi was the home star system to an evil energy being known as "Gorkon".
In the Worldwar books by Harry Turtledove, Epsilon Indi is one of the subject star systems ("Halless") of the alien Race.
References and external links
- Epsilon Indi Ba and Bb (http://www.spaceref.ca/news/viewpr.html?pid=12596), a pair of brown dwarfs 12 ly away
- Sol Station — Epsilon Indi (http://www.solstation.com/stars/eps-indi.htm)