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Star · B0I

Alnilam

Alnilam is a supergiant star of spectral type B0I in the constellation Orion, 1,977 light-years from the Sun.

Other namesε Ori · HIP 26311
ConstellationOrion
Distance1,977 light-years (606.1 pc)
Apparent magnitudemagnitude 1.69
Absolute magnitudemagnitude −7.22
Spectral typeB0I
Surface temperature13,210 K
Luminosity154,000 L☉
Radius74.9 R☉
Mass4.81 M☉ (estimated)
Right ascension (J2000)5h 36m 12.8s
Declination (J2000)−1° 12′ 07″
Space velocity (relative to the Sun)27.7 km/s

In the sky

Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 1.69). Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 89° N. It stands highest at midnight in December, the best time to observe it.

Through a telescope from Earth

Light's journey

The light you see tonight set out around the year 49. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 35 million years.

The Sun seen from there

From a planet around Alnilam, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 13.74, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Ophiuchus. 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.