Star · B1V
η Cen
η Cen is a main-sequence star of spectral type B1V in the constellation Centaurus, 305.7 light-years from the Sun.
| Other names | HIP 71352 |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Distance | 305.7 light-years (93.7 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 2.33 |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −2.53 |
| Spectral type | B1V |
| Surface temperature | 12,630 K |
| Luminosity | 1,860 L☉ |
| Radius | 9.01 R☉ |
| Mass | 7.8 M☉ (estimated) |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 14h 35m 30.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | −42° 09′ 28″ |
| Space velocity (relative to the Sun) | 21.2 km/s |
In the sky
Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 2.33). 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 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 1720. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 5.4 million years.
The Sun seen from there
From a planet around η Cen, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 9.69, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Andromeda. It would be invisible to the naked eye.
Neighbours
Its nearest neighbours in the catalogue (within 20 light-years):
- HIP 70627 17.0 light-years
Position, brightness and colour from the HYG / AT-HYG catalogue; temperature, luminosity, radius and mass are approximate values computed from these observations.