Star · K4III
HIP 38686
HIP 38686 is a giant star of spectral type K4III in the constellation Puppis, 1,050 light-years from the Sun.
| Constellation | Puppis |
|---|---|
| Distance | 1,050 light-years (321.9 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 6.45 |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −1.09 |
| Spectral type | K4III |
| Surface temperature | 3,830 K |
| Luminosity | 815 L☉ |
| Radius | 64.7 R☉ |
| Mass | 6.17 M☉ (estimated) |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 7h 55m 13.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | −30° 55′ 04″ |
| Space velocity (relative to the Sun) | 78.4 km/s |
In the sky
Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 6.45). Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 59° N. South of latitude 59° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in January, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out around the year 976. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 19 million years.
The Sun seen from there
From a planet around HIP 38686, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 12.37, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Cygnus. 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.