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Name: Michael Geary
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Question:
What is the approximate mass of the star Alpha Centauri?


Replies:
I am a little reluctant to answer this one. Part of the purpose of a research project is to develop skills for searching out information. I tried the major encyclopedias, and my almanac, without success; but do not forget the books dealing with the topic of interest but which are outside the reference section of the library. My source is the astronomy text "Astronomy: the Cosmic Journey" by Wm. Hartmann. The star system Alpha Centauri actually consists of three stars: A, whose mass is 1.1 solar masses; B, whose mass is 0.9 solar mass; and C (also called Proxima Centau- ri), whose mass is only 0.1 solar mass. A solar mass, in turn, is 1.99 x 10^30 kg.

RC Winther

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