Star · F5III
HIP 42538
HIP 42538 is a giant star of spectral type F5III in the constellation Cancer, 334.2 light-years from the Sun.
| Constellation | Cancer |
|---|---|
| Distance | 334.2 light-years (102.5 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 6.21 |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude 1.16 |
| Spectral type | F5III |
| Surface temperature | 6,870 K |
| Luminosity | 29.2 L☉ |
| Radius | 3.81 R☉ |
| Mass | 2.38 M☉ (estimated) |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 8h 40m 18.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +31° 56′ 31″ |
| Space velocity (relative to the Sun) | 27.6 km/s |
In the sky
Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 6.21). Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 58° S. North of latitude 58° N 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 1692. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 5.9 million years.
The Sun seen from there
From a planet around HIP 42538, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 9.88, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Microscopium. 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.