Kappa Piscium
A chemically peculiar Ap star in the Circlet of Pisces.
Kappa Piscium (κ Piscium) is a solitary, white-hued star in the zodiac constellation of Pisces, visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.94. It forms the southeastern corner of the 'Circlet' asterism in Pisces and is notable as an Alpha2 Canum Venaticorum variable star, a chemically peculiar Ap star with abnormal abundances of silicon, strontium, and chromium.
- Apparent visual magnitude
- 4.94
- Maximum brightness
- 4.87
- Minimum brightness
- 4.95
- Distance from sun
- 153 light years
- Parallax
- 21.25 mas
- Stellar classification
- A-type main-sequence star with Ap suffix (chemically peculiar)
- Variable type
- Alpha2 Canum Venaticorum variable
Lore & Background
Kappa Piscium is an A-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification that includes the suffix designation indicating it is a chemically peculiar Ap star, displaying abnormal abundances of silicon, strontium, and chromium. It is an Alpha2 Canum Venaticorum variable with a weak active magnetic field that causes it to fluctuate by 0.01 to 0.1 in magnitude as it rotates. Its spectrum shows many lines of uranium, and possibly the rare element holmium. The uranium and osmium content could have been provided by a nearby supernova. Compared to the Sun, it is deficient in oxygen relative to the magnesium abundance. The star is a candidate member of the AB Doradus moving group, an association of stars with similar ages that share a common heading through space. Appearing as a single point in the sky, it is easily split when viewed with a pair of binoculars and displays three components. The visual companions have apparent magnitudes of 9.96 and 11.20.
Reader's Guide
Kappa Piscium holds significance as a chemically peculiar Ap star and an Alpha2 Canum Venaticorum variable, offering insights into stellar magnetic fields and chemical anomalies. Its variability, driven by a weak active magnetic field, provides a natural laboratory for studying rotational modulation and abundance patterns in A-type stars. The presence of uranium and possibly holmium in its spectrum, along with its oxygen deficiency relative to magnesium, points to complex nucleosynthetic histories, possibly influenced by a nearby supernova. As a candidate member of the AB Doradus moving group, it contributes to understanding stellar kinematics and the shared origins of stars with similar ages and space motions. Its location in the Circlet asterism of Pisces and its resolvability into three components through binoculars make it a target for both amateur observers and professional studies of multiple-star systems and chemically peculiar stars.
Did You Know?
- Kappa Piscium is an Alpha2 Canum Venaticorum variable that fluctuates by 0.01 to 0.1 in magnitude as it rotates.
- It displays abnormal abundances of silicon, strontium, and chromium, and shows many lines of uranium in its spectrum.
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