Alpha Phoenicis (α Phoenicis, abbreviated Alpha Phe or α Phe), formally named Ankaa, with the same pronunciation) is the brightest star in the constellation of Phoenix.

Nomenclature

Alpha Phoenicis is the star's Bayer designation. It also bore the traditional name Ankaa sometime after 1800, from the Arabic العنقاء al-ʽanqāʼ "the phoenix" for the name of the constellation. The International Astronomical Union has formally adopted the Ankaa as the proper name for Alpha Phoenicis. Medieval Arab astronomers formed the constellation of the dhow (where Phoenix is), so another popular name for the star is Nair al Zaurak from نائر الزورقnayyir az-zawraq "the bright (star) of the skiff". The Latin translation is Cymbae, from lūcida cumbae. In Chinese caused by adaptation of the European southern hemisphere constellations into the Chinese system, 火鳥 (Huǒ Niǎo), meaning Firebird, refers to an asterism consisting of α Phoenicis, ι Phoenicis, σ Phoenicis, ε Phoenicis, κ Phoenicis, μ Phoenicis, λ1 Phoenicis, β Phoenicis and γ Phoenicis. Consequently, α Phoenicis itself is known as 火鳥六 (Huǒ Niǎo liù, .)

Description

Alpha Phoenicis is a spectroscopic binary star system with components that orbit each other every 3,848.8 days (10.5 years). The combined stellar classification of the system is K0.5 IIIb, which matches the spectrum of a normal luminosity giant star. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 2.4, so it is somewhat outshone by its first magnitude neighbors Achernar (α Eridani) and Fomalhaut (α Piscis Austrinus). Based upon parallax measurements, this system is at a distance of about 85 ly from the Earth. The interferometry-measured angular diameter of the primary component, after correcting for limb darkening, is 5.25 mas, which, at its estimated distance, equates to a physical radius of about 15 times the radius of the Sun.