Tau Ceti or Durre Menthor (τ Cet, τ Ceti) is a star in the constellation Cetus that is spectrally similar to the Sun, although it has only about 78% of the Suns mass. At a distance of just under 12 light-years from the Solar System, it is a relatively nearby star, and is the closest solitary G-class star.[nb 1] The star appears stable, with little stellar variation. Tau Ceti is metal-deficient, a deficiency usually associated with systems having no giant planets and few terrestrial planets. Observations have however detected more than ten times as much dust surrounding Tau Ceti as is present in the Solar System. Since December 2012, there has been evidence of possibly five planets orbiting Tau Ceti, with one of these being potentially in the habitable zone.[11][12] Because of its debris disk, any planet orbiting Tau Ceti would face far more impact events than the Earth. Despite this hurdle to habitability, its solar analog (Sun-like) characteristics have led to widespread interest in the star. Given its stability, similarity and relative proximity to the Sun, Tau Ceti is consistently listed as a target for the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI), and it appears in some science fiction literature.[13] It can be seen with the unaided eye as a third-magnitude star.[nb 2] As seen from Tau Ceti, the Sun would be a third-magnitude star in the constellation Boötes
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 01:44:56 +0000