Kapteyn's star


Kapteyn's star

(kap-tÿnz ) A dim red subdwarf in the constellation Pictor that is a high-velocity star with a radial velocity of 242 km/s. It is one of the nearest stars to the Sun and is the nearest subdwarf. It has the second highest known proper motion, moving southeastward at a rate of 8.7 seconds of arc per year. Only Barnard's star exceeds this. Kapteyn's star was discovered in 1897 by the Dutch astronomer Jacobus Cornelius Kapteyn (1851–1922) through the analysis of photographic plates. mv : 8.8; Mv : 10.8; spectral type: sdM0; distance: 3.91 pc.