Star · K2III
HIP 72959
HIP 72959 is a giant star of spectral type K2III in the constellation Centaurus, 1,417 light-years from the Sun.
| Constellation | Centaurus |
|---|---|
| Distance | 1,417 light-years (434.5 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 5.85 |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −2.34 |
| Spectral type | K2III |
| Surface temperature | 3,900 K |
| Luminosity | 2,360 L☉ |
| Radius | 106 R☉ |
| Mass | 8.36 M☉ (estimated) |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 14h 54m 37.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | −33° 18′ 02″ |
| Space velocity (relative to the Sun) | 34.1 km/s |
In the sky
Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 5.85). Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 57° N. South of latitude 57° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in May, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out around the year 609. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 25 million years.
The Sun seen from there
From a planet around HIP 72959, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 13.02, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Perseus. 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.