Star · K0III
λ Men
λ Men is a giant star of spectral type K0III in the constellation Mensa, 466.7 light-years from the Sun.
| Other names | HIP 27369 |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Mensa |
| Distance | 466.7 light-years (143.1 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 6.54 |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude 0.76 |
| Spectral type | K0III |
| Surface temperature | 4,570 K |
| Luminosity | 73.7 L☉ |
| Radius | 13.7 R☉ |
| Mass | 3.1 M☉ (estimated) |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 5h 47m 48.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | −72° 42′ 08″ |
| Space velocity (relative to the Sun) | 23.1 km/s |
In the sky
Too faint for the naked eye (magnitude 6.54); binoculars will find it. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 17° N. South of latitude 17° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in December, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out around the year 1559. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 8.3 million years.
The Sun seen from there
From a planet around λ Men, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 10.61, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Draco. 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.