TV Pictoris is a rotating ellipsoidal variable star in the constellation Pictor. It ranges between apparent magnitude 7.37 - 7.53 over a period of 0.85 days.[3] It was first discovered to be variable in 1987.[5] The system is inclined at an angle of 54 degrees to observers on Earth. It is composed of a primary star that has a radius 4.3 times that of the sun and 1.2 times its mass, and an effective (surface) temperature of 8300 K, and a secondary star with a radius 2.1 times that of the sun and 40% of its mass, and an effective temperature of 7000 K. Both stars are less massive than expected for a main sequence star of their temperatures. The secondary rotates much faster than the primary.[6]
The system shines with a combined spectrum of A2V. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 5.14 milliarc seconds as measured by the Hipparcos satellite,[7] this system is 640 light-years (195 parsecs) from Earth. Analysing and recalibrating yields a parallax of 4.70 and hence a distance of 690 light-years (213 parsecs).[8]
^Samus, N. N.; Durlevich, O. V.; et al. (2009). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: General Catalogue of Variable Stars (Samus+ 2007-2013)". VizieR On-line Data Catalog: B/GCVS. Originally Published in: 2009yCat....102025S. 1. Bibcode:2009yCat....102025S.
^Verschuren, W.; Hensberge, H.; Schneider, H.; Pavlovski, K. (1987). "HD 30861, a New Ellipsoidal Variable". Information Bulletin on Variable Stars. 3120: 1. Bibcode:1987IBVS.3120....1V.
^Pavlovski, K.; Cuypers, J.; David, M.; Griffin, R. E. M.; et al. (1998). "The nearby ellipsoidal variable TV Pictoris". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 331: 639–50. Bibcode:1998A&A...331..639P.
