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Star · K3III

3 Cnc

3 Cnc is a giant star of spectral type K3III in the constellation Cancer, 803.4 light-years from the Sun.

Other namesHIP 39177
ConstellationCancer
Distance803.4 light-years (246.3 pc)
Apparent magnitudemagnitude 5.60
Absolute magnitudemagnitude −1.36
Spectral typeK3III
Surface temperature4,090 K
Luminosity776 L☉
Radius55.4 R☉
Mass6.08 M☉ (estimated)
Right ascension (J2000)8h 00m 47.3s
Declination (J2000)+17° 18′ 31″
Space velocity (relative to the Sun)41.5 km/s

In the sky

Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 5.60). 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 January, the best time to observe it.

Through a telescope from Earth

Light's journey

The light you see tonight set out around the year 1223. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 14 million years.

The Sun seen from there

From a planet around 3 Cnc, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 11.79, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Sagittarius. It would be invisible to the naked eye.

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.