Delta Crucis
| Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Crux |
| Right ascension | Template:RA[1] |
| Declination | Template:DEC[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 2.78 - 2.84[2] |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | B2 IV[3] |
| U−B color index | −0.921[4] |
| B−V color index | −0.235[4] |
| Variable type | β Cep[5] |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | +22.2[6] km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: −35.81[1] mas/yr Dec.: −10.36[1] mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 9.45±0.15 mas[1] |
| Distance | Template:Rnd ± Template:Rnd ly (Template:Rnd ± Template:Rnd pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | −3.2[7] |
| Details | |
| Mass | 8.9±0.1[8] M☉ |
| Radius | Template:Solar radius calculator[9][a] R☉ |
| Luminosity | 8,100+1,900 −1,500[9] L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 3.88[7] cgs |
| Temperature | 20,400[9] K |
| Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 210[10] km/s |
| Age | 18.1±3.2[8] Myr |
| Other designations | |
| Template:Odlist[11] | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
Delta Crucis or δ Crucis, also known as Imai (/ˈiːmaɪ/), is a star in the southern constellation of Crux, and is the faintest of the four bright stars that form the prominent asterism known as the Southern Cross. This star has an apparent magnitude of 2.8, and its proper name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union on 10 August 2018.[12] Imai is a massive, hot and rapidly rotating star that is in the process of evolving into a giant, and is located at a distance of about 345 light-years (106 parsecs) from the Sun.
Nomenclature
δ Crucis (Latinised to Delta Crucis) is the star's Bayer designation.
The International Astronomical Union Working Group on Star Names (WGSN)[13] approved the name Imai for this star on 10 August 2018 and it is in the list of IAU-approved star names.[12] Imai is the name given to this star by the Mursi people of modern-day Ethiopia. The star Imai has some significance as when it "ceases to appear in the evening sky at dusk (around the end of August), it is said that the Omo River rises high enough to flatten the imai grass that grows along its banks, and then subsides."[14] The Mursi use a series of southern stars to mark their calendar to track seasonal flooding of the Omo River: Imai along with β Crucis (Thaadoi), β Centauri (Waar), and α Centauri (Sholbi).[15]
It is sometimes called Pálida (Pale [one]) in Portuguese.[16]
In Chinese, Script error: No such module "Lang". (Script error: No such module "Lang".), meaning Cross, refers to an asterism consisting of δ Crucis, γ Crucis, α Crucis and β Crucis.[17] Consequently, δ Crucis itself is known as Script error: No such module "Lang". (Script error: No such module "Lang"., Template:Langx).[18]
The Aranda and Luritja people around Hermannsburg, Central Australia named Iritjinga, "The Eagle-hawk", a quadrangular arrangement comprising this star, γ Cru (Gacrux), γ Cen (Muhilfain) and δ Cen (Ma Wei).[19]
Properties

This star has a stellar classification of B2 IV,[3] making it a subgiant star that is in the process of evolving away from the main sequence and becoming a red giant. Presently it is radiating around 8,100 times the luminosity of the Sun from its outer atmosphere at an effective temperature of 20,400 K,[9] causing it to glow with a blue-white hue.[21] Delta Crucis is a strong candidate Beta Cephei variable.[5] Its rotation is very fast, with a projected rotational velocity of 210 km s−1.[10]
Delta Crucis is a member of the Lower Centaurus Crux (LCC) component of the Scorpius–Centaurus association, which is an OB association of massive stars that share a common origin and motion through space.[7] This is the nearest OB association to the Sun, with the LCC component having an age in the range of 16–20 million years.[22]
In culture
δ Cru is represented in the flags of Australia, New Zealand, Samoa and Papua New Guinea as one of the stars comprising the Southern Cross. It is also featured in the flag of Brazil, along with 26 other stars, each of which represents a state. δ Cru represents the state of Minas Gerais.[23]
Notes
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- ^ Calculated, using the Stefan-Boltzmann law and the star's effective temperature and luminosity, with respect to the solar nominal effective temperature of 5,772 K:
References
- ^ a b c d e Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.van Leeuwen, F. (November 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
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Samus, N. N.; Durlevich, O. V.; et al. (2009). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: General Catalogue of Variable Stars (Samus+ 2007-2013)". VizieR On-line Data Catalog: B/GCVS. Originally Published in: 2009yCat....102025S. 1: B/GCVS. Bibcode:2009yCat....102025S.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Houk, Nancy; Cowley, A. P. (1978), Catalogue of two-dimensional spectral types for the HD stars: Declinations -90 to -53, vol. 1, Ann Arbor: Dept. of Astronomy, University of Michigan, Bibcode:1975mcts.book.....H
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Gutierrez-Moreno, Adelina; Moreno, Hugo (June 1968), "A photometric investigation of the Scorpio-Centaurus association", Astrophysical Journal Supplement, 15: 459, Bibcode:1968ApJS...15..459G, doi:10.1086/190168
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Telting, J. H.; et al. (June 2006), "A high-resolution spectroscopy survey of β Cephei pulsations in bright stars", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 452 (3): 945–953, Bibcode:2006A&A...452..945T, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20054730, hdl:2066/36162
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Wielen, R.; et al. (1999), "Sixth Catalogue of Fundamental Stars (FK6). Part I. Basic fundamental stars with direct solutions", Veroeffentlichungen des Astronomischen Rechen-Instituts Heidelberg, 35 (35), Astronomisches Rechen-Institut Heidelberg: 1, Bibcode:1999VeARI..35....1W
- ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.de Geus, E. J.; de Zeeuw, P. T.; Lub, J. (June 1989), "Physical parameters of stars in the Scorpio-Centaurus OB association", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 216 (1–2): 44–61, Bibcode:1989A&A...216...44D
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Tetzlaff, N.; Neuhäuser, R.; Hohle, M. M. (January 2011), "A catalogue of young runaway Hipparcos stars within 3 kpc from the Sun", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 410 (1): 190–200, arXiv:1007.4883, Bibcode:2011MNRAS.410..190T, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17434.x, S2CID 118629873
- ^ a b c d Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Sharma, Awshesh N.; Bedding, Timothy R.; Saio, Hideyuki; White, Timothy R. (2022). "Pulsating B stars in the Scorpius–Centaurus Association with TESS". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 515 (1): 828–840. arXiv:2203.02582. Bibcode:2022MNRAS.515..828S. doi:10.1093/mnras/stac1816.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Bernacca, P. L.; Perinotto, M. (1970). "A catalogue of stellar rotational velocities". Contributi Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova in Asiago. 239 (1): 1. Bibcode:1970CoAsi.239....1B.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."HD 106490 – Variable Star of beta Cep type", SIMBAD Astronomical Database, Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg, retrieved 2005-11-05
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."IAU Catalog of Star Names". International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."IAU Working Group on Star Names (WGSN)". Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."IAU Working Group on Star Names (WGSN)" (Press release). IAU.org.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."IAU Catalog of Star Names". Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ da Silva Oliveira, R., "Crux Australis: o Cruzeiro do Sul" Script error: No such module "webarchive"., Artigos: Planetario Movel Inflavel AsterDomus.
- ^ Template:In lang 中國星座神話, written by 陳久金. Published by 台灣書房出版有限公司, 2005, Template:ISBN.
- ^ Template:In lang AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 7 月 29 日 Script error: No such module "webarchive".
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Raymond Haynes; Roslynn D. Haynes; David Malin; Richard McGee (1996). Explorers of the Southern Sky: A History of Australian Astronomy. Cambridge University Press. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-521-36575-8.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."MAST: Barbara A. Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes". Space Telescope Science Institute. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The Colour of Stars", Australia Telescope, Outreach and Education, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, December 21, 2004, archived from the original on 2012-03-18, retrieved 2012-01-16
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Jilinski, E.; et al. (March 2006), "Radial velocity measurements of B stars in the Scorpius-Centaurus association", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 448 (3): 1001–1006, arXiv:astro-ph/0601643, Bibcode:2006A&A...448.1001J, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20041614, S2CID 17818058
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Astronomy of the Brazilian Flag". FOTW Flags Of The World website.
External links
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