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Star · M5III

2 Cen

2 Cen is a giant star of spectral type M5III in the constellation Centaurus, 205.8 light-years from the Sun.

Other namesHIP 67457
ConstellationCentaurus
Distance205.8 light-years (63.1 pc)
Apparent magnitudemagnitude 4.19
Absolute magnitudemagnitude 0.19
Spectral typeM5III
Surface temperature3,760 K
Luminosity275 L☉
Radius39 R☉
Mass4.52 M☉ (estimated)
Right ascension (J2000)13h 49m 26.7s
Declination (J2000)−34° 27′ 03″
Space velocity (relative to the Sun)46.5 km/s

In the sky

Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 4.19). Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 56° N. South of latitude 56° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in April, the best time to observe it.

Through a telescope from Earth

Light's journey

The light you see tonight set out around the year 1820. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 3.7 million years.

The Sun seen from there

From a planet around 2 Cen, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 8.83, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Triangulum. It would be invisible to the naked eye.

Neighbours

Its nearest neighbours in the catalogue (within 20 light-years):

  • HIP 67851 5.38 light-years
  • HIP 67648 7.94 light-years
  • HIP 67682 12.2 light-years
  • HIP 67941 13.6 light-years
  • HIP 68507 13.8 light-years
  • HIP 67652 14.5 light-years
  • HIP 65701 16.2 light-years
  • HIP 66144 19.0 light-years

Open in the simulation

Position, brightness and colour from the HYG / AT-HYG catalogue; temperature, luminosity, radius and mass are approximate values computed from these observations.