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Star · A0

56 Tau

56 Tau is a main-sequence star of spectral type A0 in the constellation Taurus, 286.0 light-years from the Sun.

Other namesHIP 20186
ConstellationTaurus
Distance286.0 light-years (87.7 pc)
Apparent magnitudemagnitude 5.34
Absolute magnitudemagnitude 0.62
Spectral typeA0
Surface temperature11,690 K
Luminosity87.2 L☉
Radius2.28 R☉
Mass3.26 M☉ (estimated)
Right ascension (J2000)4h 19m 36.7s
Declination (J2000)+21° 46′ 25″
Space velocity (relative to the Sun)26.8 km/s

In the sky

Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 5.34). Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 68° S. North of latitude 68° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in November, the best time to observe it.

Through a telescope from Earth

Light's journey

The light you see tonight set out around the year 1740. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 5.1 million years.

The Sun seen from there

From a planet around 56 Tau, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 9.55, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Scorpius. It would be invisible to the naked eye.

Neighbours

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

  • HIP 19797 6.52 light-years
  • HIP 20369 11.8 light-years
  • 53 Tau 13.0 light-years
  • ω¹ Tau 16.6 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.