Star · B9II
λ Cen
λ Cen is a bright giant star of spectral type B9II in the constellation Centaurus, 394.1 light-years from the Sun.
| Other names | HIP 56561 |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Distance | 394.1 light-years (120.8 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 3.11 |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −2.30 |
| Spectral type | B9II |
| Surface temperature | 10,710 K |
| Luminosity | 1,100 L☉ |
| Radius | 9.63 R☉ |
| Mass | 6.71 M☉ (estimated) |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 35m 46.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | −63° 01′ 11″ |
| Space velocity (relative to the Sun) | 20.1 km/s |
In the sky
Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 3.11). Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 27° N. South of latitude 27° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in March, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out around the year 1632. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 7.0 million years.
The Sun seen from there
From a planet around λ Cen, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 10.24, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Cassiopeia. 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.