Star · M1III
117 Tau
117 Tau is a giant star of spectral type M1III in the constellation Taurus, 634.6 light-years from the Sun.
| Other names | HIP 25583 |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Taurus |
| Distance | 634.6 light-years (194.6 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 5.77 |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −0.68 |
| Spectral type | M1III |
| Surface temperature | 3,600 K |
| Luminosity | 773 L☉ |
| Radius | 71.4 R☉ |
| Mass | 6.07 M☉ (estimated) |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 5h 28m 01.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +17° 14′ 21″ |
| Space velocity (relative to the Sun) | 50.8 km/s |
In the sky
Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 5.77). Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 73° S. North of latitude 73° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in December, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out around the year 1391. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 11 million years.
The Sun seen from there
From a planet around 117 Tau, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 11.28, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Ophiuchus. It would be invisible to the naked eye.
Position, brightness and colour from the HYG / AT-HYG catalogue; temperature, luminosity, radius and mass are approximate values computed from these observations.