Star · B7III
Elnath
Elnath is a giant star of spectral type B7III in the constellation Taurus, 133.9 light-years from the Sun.
| Other names | β Tau · HIP 25428 |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Taurus |
| Distance | 133.9 light-years (41.1 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 1.65 |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −1.42 |
| Spectral type | B7III |
| Surface temperature | 12,100 K |
| Luminosity | 612 L☉ |
| Radius | 5.63 R☉ |
| Mass | 5.68 M☉ (estimated) |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 5h 26m 17.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | +28° 36′ 27″ |
| Space velocity (relative to the Sun) | 35.3 km/s |
In the sky
Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 1.65). Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 61° S. North of latitude 61° N it never sets. 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 1892. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 2.4 million years.
The Sun seen from there
From a planet around Elnath, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 7.90, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Ophiuchus. It would be invisible to the naked eye.
Neighbours
Its nearest neighbours in the catalogue (within 20 light-years):
- HIP 24046 8.97 light-years
- HIP 24035 9.90 light-years
- HD 32963 13.9 light-years
- HIP 23402 13.9 light-years
- HIP 27528 15.8 light-years
- HIP 23259 15.8 light-years
- HIP 24133 17.3 light-years
- HIP 23563 18.3 light-years
Position, brightness and colour from the HYG / AT-HYG catalogue; temperature, luminosity, radius and mass are approximate values computed from these observations.