Delta Eridani


Delta Eridani is a 3.54 magnitude star in the constellation of Eridanus. It is sometimes called Rana. Rana means "the frog" in Latin, but derivation of this name is uncertain.

Structure

This star is relatively near to the Sun, at a measured distance of about 29 light years. It is a variable star with a small visual amplitude, only changing brightness between magnitudes 3.51 and 3.56. It is a suspected RS Canum Venaticorum variable, but this is still uncertain.
δ Eridani is a subgiant star that has exhausted its core hydrogen. This has caused the star to expand and become cooler than a comparable main sequence star. Its physical properties show it to be near the end of the subgiant branch and about to join the red giant branch.

Names

In Chinese, 天苑, meaning Celestial Meadows, refers to an asterism consisting of δ Eridani, γ Eridani, π Eridani, ε Eridani, ζ Eridani, η Eridani, π Ceti, τ1 Eridani, τ2 Eridani, τ3 Eridani, τ4 Eridani, τ5 Eridani, τ6 Eridani, τ7 Eridani, τ8 Eridani and τ9 Eridani. Consequently, the Chinese name for δ Eridani itself is 天苑三