Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 18, 2026

Kappa Volantis

Kappa Volantis, Latinized from κ Volantis, is a quadruple star system in the southern constellation of Volans. The primary component has an apparent visual magnitude of 5.37, while the secondary companion is magnitude 5.65; individually, both a bright enough to be faintly visible to the naked eye. Based upon parallax measurements, the stars appear to be around 420−430 light-years from the Sun.

Last revised
Jun 18, 2026
Read time
≈ 4 min
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Citations
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Wikipedia ↗
κ Volantis
Location of κ Volantis
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox ICRS
Constellation Volans
κ1 Vol
Right ascension 08h 19m 48.96447s1
Declination −71° 30′ 53.6692″1
Apparent magnitude (V) 5.372
κ2 Vol
Right ascension 08h 20m 00.52661s1
Declination −71° 30′ 19.3664″1
Apparent magnitude (V) 5.652
Characteristics
κ1 Vol
Spectral type B9III/IV3
U−B color index −0.312
B−V color index −0.062
κ2 Vol
Spectral type B9/A0IV3
U−B color index −0.312
B−V color index −0.102
Astrometry
κ1 Vol
Radial velocity (Rv)36.04 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −16.891 mas/yr
Dec.: +36.261 mas/yr
Parallax (π)7.50±0.35 mas1
Distance430 ± 20 ly
(133 ± 6 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)−0.295
κ2 Vol
Radial velocity (Rv)−6.504 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −17.711 mas/yr
Dec.: +34.101 mas/yr
Parallax (π)7.79±0.21 mas1
Distance420 ± 10 ly
(128 ± 3 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)+0.095
Details
κ1 Vol
Mass2.7±0.36 M☉
Radius3.83±0.657 R☉
Luminosity1298 L☉
Surface gravity (log g)3.77±0.096 cgs
Temperature9,8848 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.20+0.36
−0.256 dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)809 km/s
κ2 Vol
Mass3.0310 M☉
Radius3.0110 R☉
Luminosity1248 L☉
Surface gravity (log g)4.1910 cgs
Temperature11,6828 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]+0.69±0.1511 dex
Rotation1.2964112 d
Rotational velocity (v sin i)213 km/s
Age12010 Myr
Other designations
κ Vol, WDS J08198-713114
κ1 Vol: CPD−71°677, HD 71046, HIP 40817, HR 3301, SAO 25649714
κ2 Vol: CPD−71° 678, HD 71066, HIP 40834, HR 3302, SAO 256499.15
Database references
SIMBADκ1 Vol
κ2 Vol

Kappa Volantis, Latinized from κ Volantis, is a quadruple star system16 in the southern constellation of Volans. The primary component has an apparent visual magnitude of 5.37, while the secondary companion is magnitude 5.65;2 individually, both a bright enough to be faintly visible to the naked eye. Based upon parallax measurements, the stars appear to be around 420−430 light-years from the Sun.

Properties

The brightest component, κ1 Volantis, is a blue-white B-type star with a stellar classification showing characteristics of a both a subgiant and giant star. It has an unseen companion, and the pair form a single-lined spectroscopic binary.16 The star has nearly three times the Sun's mass, and 3.8 times its radius. It radiates at 129 times the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 9,884 K.

Companion

Separated from κ1 Volantis by 65 arcseconds, κ2 Volantis is a white subgiant star that falls between a B-type and A-type classification. The system's fourth component, κ Volantis C, is a magnitude +8.5 star 37.7 arcseconds away from κ2 Volantis.

References

References

  1. van Leeuwen, F. (2007), "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 474 (2): 653–664, arXiv:0708.1752, Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357, S2CID 18759600.
  2. Johnson, H. L.; et al. (1999), "UBVRIJKL photometry of the bright stars", Commission Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, 4: 99, Bibcode:1966CoLPL...4...99J.
  3. Houk, Nancy; Cowley, A. P. (1979), Michigan catalogue of two-dimensional spectral types for the HD stars, vol. 1, Ann Arbor, Michigan: Dept. of Astronomy, University of Michigan, Bibcode:1978mcts.book.....H.
  4. de Bruijne, J. H. J.; Eilers, A.-C. (October 2012), "Radial velocities for the HIPPARCOS-Gaia Hundred-Thousand-Proper-Motion project", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 546: 14, arXiv:1208.3048, Bibcode:2012A&A...546A..61D, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201219219, S2CID 59451347, A61.
  5. Anderson, E.; Francis, Ch. (2012), "XHIP: An extended hipparcos compilation", Astronomy Letters, 38 (5): 331, arXiv:1108.4971, Bibcode:2012AstL...38..331A, doi:10.1134/S1063773712050015, S2CID 119257644.
  6. Anders, F.; et al. (1 August 2019), "Photo-astrometric distances, extinctions, and astrophysical parameters for Gaia DR2 stars brighter than G = 18", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 628: A94, arXiv:1904.11302, Bibcode:2019A&A...628A..94A, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201935765, ISSN 0004-6361, S2CID 131780028.
  7. Stassun, Keivan G.; et al. (1 September 2018), "The TESS Input Catalog and Candidate Target List", The Astronomical Journal, 156 (3): 102, arXiv:1706.00495, Bibcode:2018AJ....156..102S, doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aad050, ISSN 0004-6256, S2CID 73582386.
  8. McDonald, I.; et al. (2012), "Fundamental Parameters and Infrared Excesses of Hipparcos Stars", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 427 (1): 343–57, arXiv:1208.2037, Bibcode:2012MNRAS.427..343M, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21873.x, S2CID 118665352.
  9. Glebocki, R.; Gnacinski, P. (1 March 2005), "Systematic errors in the determination of stellar rotational velocities", 13th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, 560: 571, Bibcode:2005ESASP.560..571G.
  10. Glagolevskij, Yu. V. (1 January 2019), "On Properties of Main Sequence Magnetic Stars", Astrophysical Bulletin, 74 (1): 66–79, Bibcode:2019AstBu..74...66G, doi:10.1134/S1990341319010073, S2CID 149900274.
  11. Ghazaryan, S.; Alecian, G.; Hakobyan, A. A. (1 November 2018), "New catalogue of chemically peculiar stars, and statistical analysis", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 480 (3): 2953–2962, arXiv:1807.06902, Bibcode:2018MNRAS.480.2953G, doi:10.1093/mnras/sty1912, ISSN 0035-8711.
  12. Barraza, L. F.; Gomes, R. L.; Messias, Y. S.; Leão, I. C.; Almeida, L. A.; Janot-Pacheco, E.; Brito, A. C.; Brito, F. A. C.; Santana, J. V.; Gonçalves, N. S.; Das Chagas, M. L.; Teixeira, M. A.; De Medeiros, J. R.; Canto Martins, B. L. (2022). "Rotation Signature of TESS B-type Stars. A Comprehensive Analysis". The Astrophysical Journal. 924 (2): 117. arXiv:2202.01022. Bibcode:2022ApJ...924..117B. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac3335. S2CID 246030494.
  13. Hubrig, S.; Castelli, F.; Wahlgren, G. M. (1 June 1999), "Search for magnetic fields in HgMn stars by using relative strengths of multiplet 74 Fe II lines", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 346: 139–145, Bibcode:1999A&A...346..139H, ISSN 0004-6361.
  14. "kap01 Vol -- Star", SIMBAD Astronomical Database, Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg, retrieved 2016-09-05.
  15. "kap02 Vol -- Star", SIMBAD Astronomical Database, Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg, retrieved 2016-09-05.
  16. Eggleton, P. P.; Tokovinin, A. A. (2008), "A catalogue of multiplicity among bright stellar systems", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 389 (2): 869, arXiv:0806.2878, Bibcode:2008MNRAS.389..869E, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13596.x, S2CID 14878976.