Zeta Centauri [SEP] constellation
Zeta Centauri
Zeta Centauri, Latinized from ζ Centauri, is a binary star system in the southern constellation of Centaurus. It has the proper name Alnair , from the scientific-Arabic "Nayyir Badan Qanṭūris" (نير بطن قنطورس), meaning "The Bright (Star) of the Body of the Centaur". With a combined apparent visual magnitude of +2.55, it is one of the brighter members of the constellation. This system is close enough to the Earth that its distance can be measured directly using the parallax technique
contains many deep-sky objects such as star clusters, including eight open clusters visible through binoculars. NGC 6087 is the brightest of the open clusters in Norma with a magnitude of 5.4. It lies in the southeastern corner of the constellation between Alpha Centauri and Zeta Arae. Thought to be around 100 million years old, it is about 3300 light-years away and is around 14 light-years in diameter. Its brightest member is the Cepheid variable S Normae. A rich background star field makes it less distinct,