Epsilon Eridani is a young orange star in Eridanus, ringed by belts of dust and orbited by a giant planet, and one of the nearest stars visible to the eye.
At a glance
| type | orange star (class K) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 10.5 light-years (3.22 pc) |
| its light left it | 10.5 years ago |
| luminosity | 0.34 × the Sun |
| radius | 0.74 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 5,080 K |
| constellation | Eridanus (River) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Epsilon Eridani
Epsilon Eridani is an orange dwarf, smaller and cooler than the Sun and much younger, still spinning fast and magnetically active, with starspots and a cycle of activity like the Sun’s. It is faint but visible to the naked eye in Eridanus, the River.
Its youth shows in what surrounds it. Infrared telescopes found the glow of cold dust in rings around it, a debris disc of the kind the Solar System had early in its history, with a broad outer belt reminiscent of our Kuiper belt. A giant planet, Epsilon Eridani b, orbits within it, found from the star’s wobble and its tiny shift across the sky.
It has long been a target for the search for life. It was one of the first two stars observed in Project Ozma, Frank Drake’s pioneering attempt to listen for radio signals from other civilisations.
What you see in the piece
Fly to it and you find an orange disc, warmer in colour than the Sun, with its catalogued giant planet on its orbit. In HUMAN EYE it is a faint star in Eridanus, among the dimmest the eye can catch.
Measured or modelled
The orbit and mass of Epsilon Eridani b are still debated, and further planets have been suggested from gaps in the dust but not confirmed.
Questions
Does Epsilon Eridani have planets?
Yes, a giant planet, Epsilon Eridani b, orbits it, inside a system of dust rings. The star lies 10.5 light-years (3.22 pc) away.
Can you see Epsilon Eridani with the naked eye?
Yes, as a faint star in Eridanus. It is an orange star (class K) with a luminosity of 0.34 × the Sun.