Star · M3
Brachium
Brachium is a supergiant star of spectral type M3 in the constellation Libra, 260.1 light-years from the Sun.
| Other names | σ Lib · HIP 73714 |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Libra |
| Distance | 260.1 light-years (79.8 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 3.25 |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −1.26 |
| Spectral type | M3 |
| Surface temperature | 3,550 K |
| Luminosity | 1,440 L☉ |
| Radius | 100 R☉ |
| Mass | 7.26 M☉ (estimated) |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 15h 04m 04.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | −25° 16′ 55″ |
| Space velocity (relative to the Sun) | 32.4 km/s |
In the sky
Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 3.25). Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 65° N. South of latitude 65° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in May, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out around the year 1766. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 4.6 million years.
The Sun seen from there
From a planet around Brachium, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 9.34, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Aries. It would be invisible to the naked eye.
Neighbours
Its nearest neighbours in the catalogue (within 20 light-years):
- HIP 74540 11.3 light-years
- HIP 73181 18.2 light-years
- HIP 75092 19.2 light-years
Position, brightness and colour from the HYG / AT-HYG catalogue; temperature, luminosity, radius and mass are approximate values computed from these observations.