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Star · G8III

φ Cyg

φ Cyg is a giant star of spectral type G8III in the constellation Cygnus, 255.2 light-years from the Sun.

Other namesHIP 96683
ConstellationCygnus
Distance255.2 light-years (78.3 pc)
Apparent magnitudemagnitude 4.68
Absolute magnitudemagnitude 0.21
Spectral typeG8III
Surface temperature4,810 K
Luminosity106 L☉
Radius14.8 R☉
Mass3.44 M☉ (estimated)
Right ascension (J2000)19h 39m 22.6s
Declination (J2000)+30° 09′ 12″
Space velocity (relative to the Sun)14.6 km/s

In the sky

Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 4.68). Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 60° S. North of latitude 60° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in July, the best time to observe it.

Through a telescope from Earth

Light's journey

The light you see tonight set out around the year 1771. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 4.5 million years.

The Sun seen from there

From a planet around φ Cyg, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 9.30, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Puppis. It would be invisible to the naked eye.

Neighbours

Its nearest neighbours in the catalogue (within 20 light-years):

  • HIP 97470 13.5 light-years
  • HIP 98151 17.1 light-years
  • HIP 96514 19.1 light-years

Open in the simulation

Position, brightness and colour from the HYG / AT-HYG catalogue; temperature, luminosity, radius and mass are approximate values computed from these observations.