Star · B1III
ε Cen
ε Cen is a giant star of spectral type B1III in the constellation Centaurus, 427.5 light-years from the Sun.
| Other names | HIP 66657 |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Distance | 427.5 light-years (131.1 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 2.29 |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −3.30 |
| Spectral type | B1III |
| Surface temperature | 12,920 K |
| Luminosity | 3,960 L☉ |
| Radius | 12.5 R☉ |
| Mass | 9.68 M☉ (estimated) |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 13h 39m 53.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | −53° 27′ 59″ |
| Space velocity (relative to the Sun) | 12.3 km/s |
In the sky
Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 2.29). Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 37° N. South of latitude 37° S 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 1599. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 7.6 million years.
The Sun seen from there
From a planet around ε Cen, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 10.42, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Perseus. It would be invisible to the naked eye.
Position, brightness and colour from the HYG / AT-HYG catalogue; temperature, luminosity, radius and mass are approximate values computed from these observations.