With a stellar classification of B2 IV-V,[3] this star appears to be in the process of evolving away from the main sequence of stars like the Sun and turning a subgiant star, as the supply of hydrogen at its core becomes exhausted. It is larger than the Sun, with nearly nine[3] times the mass and 5.2 times the radius.[a] This star is radiating around 4,300 times as much luminosity as the Sun from its outer atmosphere at an effective temperature of 20,400 K,[6] giving it the blue-white hue of a B-type star.[10]
Alpha Muscae appears to be a Beta Cephei variable star. Telting and colleagues report it as a Beta Cephei with a high degree of confidence as they found regular pulsations in its spectrum in a high-resolution spectroscopy study published in 2006,[4] although Stankov and Handler (2005) listed it as a poor or rejected candidate in their Catalog of Galactic β Cephei Stars.[8] The International Variable Star Index lists it as a Beta Cephei variable which varies in brightness from magnitude 2.68 to 2.73, with a period of 2.17 hours.[12] Alpha Muscae is rotating rapidly with a projected rotational velocity of 114 km s−1[8] and has an estimated age of about 18 million years.[3]
^Evans, D. S. (June 20–24, 1966), Batten, Alan Henry; Heard, John Frederick (eds.), "The Revision of the General Catalogue of Radial Velocities", Determination of Radial Velocities and Their Applications, Proceedings from IAU Symposium No. 30, 30, University of Toronto: International Astronomical Union: 57, Bibcode:1967IAUS...30...57E
^ abcdde Geus, E. J.; de Zeeuw, P. T.; Lub, J. (June 1989), "Physical parameters of stars in the Scorpio-Centaurus OB association", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 216 (1–2): 44–61, Bibcode:1989A&A...216...44D
^ abcSharma, Awshesh N.; Bedding, Timothy R.; Saio, Hideyuki; White, Timothy R. (2022), "Pulsating B stars in the Scorpius–Centaurus Association with TESS", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 515 (1): 828–840, arXiv:2203.02582, Bibcode:2022MNRAS.515..828S, doi:10.1093/mnras/stac1816
