Star · K5
HIP 50609
HIP 50609 is a supergiant star of spectral type K5 in the constellation Vela, 2,630 light-years from the Sun.
| Constellation | Vela |
|---|---|
| Distance | 2,630 light-years (806.5 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 5.66 |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −3.87 |
| Spectral type | K5 |
| Surface temperature | 3,560 K |
| Luminosity | 15,800 L☉ |
| Radius | 330 R☉ |
| Mass | 14.4 M☉ (estimated) |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 20m 16.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | −47° 41′ 57″ |
| Space velocity (relative to the Sun) | 43.1 km/s |
In the sky
Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 5.66). Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 42° N. South of latitude 42° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in February, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out around 605 BC. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 47 million years.
The Sun seen from there
From a planet around HIP 50609, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 14.36, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Lacerta. 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.