Changes

[[Image:Tau_ceti_map.png|thumb|236px|right|Location of Tau Ceti]]

| image          =Tau_ceti_map.png

| rightascension  =01^h 44^m 04.0829^s

| declination    =−15^o 56′ 14.928″

| distance        =11.9 ly

| constellation  =[[Cetus]]

| type            =[[Star]]  

 

'''Tau Ceti''' is a star similar in spectral type and mass to our [[sun]] located 11.9 light years away in the south central part of Constellation [[Cetus]].  The similarities to our own star have lead to widespread interest in the star in both [[astronomy]] and [[Science Fiction]] over the decades.  Interest in Tau Ceti has recently increased due to the large, dense debris disk discovered around the star in 2004.  

'''Tau Ceti''' is a star similar in spectral type and mass to our [[sun]] located 11.9 light years away in the south central part of Constellation [[Cetus]].  The similarities to our own star have lead to widespread interest in the star in both [[astronomy]] and [[Science Fiction]] over the decades.  Interest in Tau Ceti has recently increased due to the large, dense debris disk discovered around the star in 2004.  

Most of what we learned about the physical properties of Tau Ceti has been determined through spectroscopic measurements. The star is a yellow-orange, main sequence star of spectral type G8 V<ref name="tau">http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=tau+ceti</ref>,  though Tau Ceti is both smaller and less massive then our sun, with around 81 to 82 percent of the mass, and around 77 percent of the diameter of Sol (our sun)<ref>http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2003A%26A...406L..15P&db_key=AST&high=40d31b5ca015926</ref>.  The star is also significantly dimmer with only 59 percent of the luminosity of our [[sun|star]]<ref>http://adsbit.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1996ApJ...460..993S</ref>.

Most of what we learned about the physical properties of Tau Ceti has been determined through spectroscopic measurements. The star is a yellow-orange, main sequence star of spectral type G8 V<ref name="tau">http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=tau+ceti</ref>,  though Tau Ceti is both smaller and less massive then our sun, with around 81 to 82 percent of the mass, and around 77 percent of the diameter of Sol (our sun)<ref>http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2003A%26A...406L..15P&db_key=AST&high=40d31b5ca015926</ref>.  The star is also significantly dimmer with only 59 percent of the luminosity of our [[sun|star]]<ref>http://adsbit.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1996ApJ...460..993S</ref>.

Tau Ceti has a much lower [[metallicity]] in comparison to stars of similar age to our sun.  Recent measurements show that Tau Ceti has only one-third of our sun’s abundance of iron.  Past measurements have produced a [[metallicity]] of 22 to 74 percent of Sol’s<ref>http://adsbit.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?bibcode=1992A%26AS...95..273C</ref>.  In all cases the [[metallicity]] is significantly lower, and using this data astronomers have estimated Tau Ceti to be around 10 billion years old<ref>http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/arxiv/pdf/0710/0710.1731v1.pdf</ref>.

Tau Ceti has a much lower [[metallicity]] in comparison to stars of similar age to our sun.  Recent measurements show that Tau Ceti has only one-third of our sun’s abundance of iron.  Past measurements have produced a [[metallicity]] of 22 to 74 percent of Sol’s<ref>http://adsbit.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?bibcode=1992A%26AS...95..273C</ref>.  In all cases the [[metallicity]] is significantly lower, and using this data astronomers have estimated Tau Ceti to be around 10 billion years old<ref>http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/arxiv/pdf/0710/0710.1731v1.pdf</ref>.

==Dust Disk==

==Dust Disk==