Star · A5
Acubens
Acubens is a main-sequence star of spectral type A5 in the constellation Cancer, 177.9 light-years from the Sun.
| Other names | α Cnc · HIP 44066 |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cancer |
| Distance | 177.9 light-years (54.6 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 4.26 |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude 0.58 |
| Spectral type | A5 |
| Surface temperature | 8,650 K |
| Luminosity | 57.1 L☉ |
| Radius | 3.37 R☉ |
| Mass | 2.89 M☉ (estimated) |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 8h 58m 29.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +11° 51′ 28″ |
| Space velocity (relative to the Sun) | 20.1 km/s |
In the sky
Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 4.26). Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 78° S. North of latitude 78° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in February, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out around the year 1848. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 3.2 million years.
The Sun seen from there
From a planet around Acubens, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 8.51, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Aquarius. It would be invisible to the naked eye.
Neighbours
Its nearest neighbours in the catalogue (within 20 light-years):
- 50 Cnc 9.56 light-years
- SIMP J08511977+1043470 10.4 light-years
- ULAS J085715.96+091325.3 14.1 light-years
- HIP 43751 15.8 light-years
- ULAS J084211.68+093611.9 16.2 light-years
- PSO J135.7840+16.9932 16.9 light-years
- HIP 44541 17.3 light-years
- SDSS J085602.05+124014.3 18.6 light-years
Position, brightness and colour from the HYG / AT-HYG catalogue; temperature, luminosity, radius and mass are approximate values computed from these observations.