Star · M2III
Menkar
Menkar is a giant star of spectral type M2III in the constellation Cetus, 249.2 light-years from the Sun.
| Other names | α Cet · HIP 14135 |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 249.2 light-years (76.4 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 2.54 |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −1.88 |
| Spectral type | M2III |
| Surface temperature | 3,610 K |
| Luminosity | 2,310 L☉ |
| Radius | 123 R☉ |
| Mass | 8.31 M☉ (estimated) |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 3h 02m 16.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +4° 05′ 23″ |
| Space velocity (relative to the Sun) | 37.9 km/s |
In the sky
Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 2.54). Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 86° S. It stands highest at midnight in November, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out around the year 1777. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 4.4 million years.
The Sun seen from there
From a planet around Menkar, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 9.25, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Libra. It would be invisible to the naked eye.
Neighbours
Its nearest neighbours in the catalogue (within 20 light-years):
- HIP 14054 17.4 light-years
- HIP 15126 19.5 light-years
- HIP 14228 19.5 light-years
- HIP 14358 19.8 light-years
Position, brightness and colour from the HYG / AT-HYG catalogue; temperature, luminosity, radius and mass are approximate values computed from these observations.