CoKu Tau/4

CoKu Tau/4
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Taurus[1]
Right ascension 04h 41m 16.810s[2]
Declination +28° 40′ 00.07″[2]
Apparent magnitude (V) 14.68[3]
Characteristics
Spectral type M1.5e[4]
Astrometry
Proper motion (μ) RA: +4.317[2] mas/yr
Dec.: −22.201[2] mas/yr
Parallax (π)6.4456±0.1146 mas[2]
Distance506 ± 9 ly
(155 ± 3 pc)
Other designations
CoKu Tauri/4, CoKu Tau-Aur Star 4, HBC 421, 2MASS J04411681+2840000[5]
Database references
SIMBADdata

CoKu Tau/4 is a pre-main-sequence binary T Tauri star system in the constellation Taurus. The stars are surrounded by a circumbinary disc with a central cavity of radius 10 astronomical units. Before its binary nature was known, the central cavity in the system's disc was thought to have been cleared out by a planet of at least 10 Jupiter masses, a rare example of a so-called "transitional disc". This model was disproven in 2008 when the star was resolved using adaptive optics as a system of two near-equal-mass stars with a projected separation of 8 AU. The central cavity is thus cleared out by the stars, not by the gravitational influence of a planet.

References

  1. ^ Roman, Nancy G. (1987). "Identification of a constellation from a position". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 99 (617): 695. Bibcode:1987PASP...99..695R. doi:10.1086/132034. Constellation record for this object at VizieR.
  2. ^ a b c d e Vallenari, A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2023). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 674: A1. arXiv:2208.00211. Bibcode:2023A&A...674A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940. S2CID 244398875. Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  3. ^ Zacharias, N.; Finch, C. T.; Girard, T. M.; Henden, A.; Bartlett, J. L.; Monet, D. G.; Zacharias, M. I. (2012). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: UCAC4 Catalogue (Zacharias+, 2012)". Vizier Online Data Catalog. Bibcode:2012yCat.1322....0Z.
  4. ^ Cohen, M. (1980). "Red and nebulous objects in dark clouds : A survey". The Astronomical Journal. 85: 29. Bibcode:1980AJ.....85...29C. doi:10.1086/112630.
  5. ^ "CoKu Tau-Aur Star 4". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2025-11-23.

Further reading