Star · K6III
η Men
η Men is a giant star of spectral type K6III in the constellation Mensa, 657.8 light-years from the Sun.
| Other names | HIP 22871 |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Mensa |
| Distance | 657.8 light-years (201.7 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 5.47 |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −1.05 |
| Spectral type | K6III |
| Surface temperature | 3,770 K |
| Luminosity | 861 L☉ |
| Radius | 68.9 R☉ |
| Mass | 6.26 M☉ (estimated) |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 4h 55m 11.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | −74° 56′ 13″ |
| Space velocity (relative to the Sun) | 69.2 km/s |
In the sky
Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 5.47). Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 15° N. South of latitude 15° S 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 1368. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 12 million years.
The Sun seen from there
From a planet around η Men, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 11.35, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Ursa Minor. 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.