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Star · G5III

56 Her

56 Her is a giant star of spectral type G5III in the constellation Hercules, 394.8 light-years from the Sun.

Other namesHIP 82780
ConstellationHercules
Distance394.8 light-years (121.0 pc)
Apparent magnitudemagnitude 6.06
Absolute magnitudemagnitude 0.65
Spectral typeG5III
Surface temperature4,940 K
Luminosity66.7 L☉
Radius11.1 R☉
Mass3.02 M☉ (estimated)
Right ascension (J2000)16h 55m 02.2s
Declination (J2000)+25° 43′ 50″
Space velocity (relative to the Sun)15.4 km/s

In the sky

Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 6.06). Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 64° S. North of latitude 64° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in June, the best time to observe it.

Through a telescope from Earth

Light's journey

The light you see tonight set out around the year 1631. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 7.0 million years.

The Sun seen from there

From a planet around 56 Her, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 10.24, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Eridanus. 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.