Epsilon Indi
Encyclopedia : E : EP : EPS : Epsilon Indi
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|} Epsilon Indi (ε Ind / ε Indi) is a star approximately 11.83 light years from Earth's solar system.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. Both are of spectral class T; the larger brown dwarf has a mass of 47 ± 10 Jupiter masses, and the smaller 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.
Epsilon Indi has the second highest proper motion (second only to 61 Cygni) of any naked eye star, or possibly the third highest, since the magnitude 6.4 Groombridge 1830 is a naked eye star under exceptionally dark skies.
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 original Star Trek episode And the Children Shall Lead, where Epsilon Indi was the home star system to an evil energy being known as "Gorgan".
In the Worldwar books by Harry Turtledove, Epsilon Indi is one of the subject star systems ("Halless") of the alien Race.
In the television show the site of the Tellus colony was in the Epsilon Indi system.
In Larry Niven's Known Space stories, the most Earthlike planet among the human colony worlds (appropriately named "Home" by the colonists) orbited Epsilon Indi.
References and external links
- [Epsilon Indi Ba and Bb], a pair of brown dwarfs 12 ly away
- [Sol Station — Epsilon Indi]
- [McCaughgrean et al., "ε Indi Ba,Bb: The nearest binary brown dwarf"]
- [Epsilon Indi] description by Professor Jim Kaler.
See also
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