Star · F5V
α Com
α Com is a main-sequence star of spectral type F5V in the constellation Coma Berenices, 46.7 light-years from the Sun.
| Other names | Gl 501B |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Coma Berenices |
| Distance | 46.7 light-years (14.3 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 5.17 |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude 4.39 |
| Spectral type | F5V |
| Surface temperature | 6,670 K |
| Luminosity | 1.49 L☉ |
| Radius | 0.914 R☉ |
| Mass | 1.11 M☉ (estimated) |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 13h 09m 58.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +17° 31′ 44″ |
| Space velocity (relative to the Sun) | 47.0 km/s |
In the sky
Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 5.17). Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 72° S. North of latitude 72° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in April, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out around the year 1979. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 829 thousand years.
The Sun seen from there
From a planet around α Com, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 5.61, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Cetus. It would be visible to the naked eye.
Neighbours
Its nearest neighbours in the catalogue (within 20 light-years):
- 2MASSW J1300425+191235 2.69 light-years
- GJ 1171 4.76 light-years
- ULAS J130217.21+130851.2 5.34 light-years
- Gl 481 5.90 light-years
- GJ 3779 6.32 light-years
- GJ 480 7.74 light-years
- Gl 525 7.94 light-years
- Gl 527B 8.65 light-years
Position, brightness and colour from the HYG / AT-HYG catalogue; temperature, luminosity, radius and mass are approximate values computed from these observations.