Star · F2V
α Cae
α Cae is a main-sequence star of spectral type F2V in the constellation Caelum, 66.5 light-years from the Sun.
| Other names | Gl 174.1A · HIP 21770 |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Caelum |
| Distance | 66.5 light-years (20.4 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 4.44 |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude 2.89 |
| Spectral type | F2V |
| Surface temperature | 7,200 K |
| Luminosity | 5.95 L☉ |
| Radius | 1.57 R☉ |
| Mass | 1.56 M☉ (estimated) |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 4h 40m 33.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | −41° 51′ 49″ |
| Space velocity (relative to the Sun) | 15.3 km/s |
In the sky
Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 4.44). Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 48° N. South of latitude 48° S 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 1960. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 1.2 million years.
The Sun seen from there
From a planet around α Cae, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 6.38, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Hercules. It would be visible to the naked eye.
Neighbours
Its nearest neighbours in the catalogue (within 20 light-years):
- Gl 174.1B 0.00 light-years
- LHS 1678 3.37 light-years
- GJ 1071 6.15 light-years
- 2MASS J04250679-4255085 7.28 light-years
- 2MASS J05103520-4208140 8.49 light-years
- WISE J041358.14-475039.3 9.02 light-years
- RR Cae 9.37 light-years
- Gl 176.3 9.56 light-years
Position, brightness and colour from the HYG / AT-HYG catalogue; temperature, luminosity, radius and mass are approximate values computed from these observations.