PSR B1257+12
Millisecond pulsar in the constellation Virgo / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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PSR B1257+12, previously designated PSR 1257+12, alternatively designated PSR J1300+1240,[6] is a millisecond pulsar located 2,300 light-years (710 parsecs) from the Sun in the constellation of Virgo, rotating at about 161 times per second (faster than a blender's blade).[1] It is also named Lich, after a powerful, fictional undead creature of the same name.[7][5]
Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 | |
---|---|
Constellation | Virgo |
Right ascension | 13h 00m 01s |
Declination | +12° 40′ 57″ |
Characteristics | |
Spectral type | Pulsar |
Astrometry | |
Proper motion (μ) | RA: 46.44±0.08[1] mas/yr Dec.: −84.87±0.32[1] mas/yr |
Parallax (π) | 1.41 ± 0.08 mas[1] |
Distance | 2,300 ± 100 ly (710 ± 40 pc) |
Details | |
Mass | 1.4[citation needed] M☉ |
Radius | ~0.000015[citation needed] R☉ |
Temperature | 28,856[citation needed] K |
Rotation | 0.006219 s[2] |
Age | 1–3[3][4][lower-alpha 1] Gyr |
Other designations | |
Database references | |
SIMBAD | data |
The pulsar has a planetary system with three known pulsar planets, named "Draugr" (PSR B1257+12 b or PSR B1257+12 A), "Poltergeist" (PSR B1257+12 c, or PSR B1257+12 B), and "Phobetor" (PSR B1257+12 d, or PSR B1257+12 C), respectively. They were both the first extrasolar planets and the first pulsar planets to be discovered; B and C in 1992 and A in 1994. A is the lowest-mass planet yet discovered by any observational technique, with somewhat less than twice the mass of Earth's moon.