Star · B5I
φ Vel
φ Vel is a supergiant star of spectral type B5I in the constellation Vela, 1,714 light-years from the Sun.
| Other names | HIP 48774 |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Vela |
| Distance | 1,714 light-years (525.5 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 3.52 |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −5.08 |
| Spectral type | B5I |
| Surface temperature | 11,050 K |
| Luminosity | 15,000 L☉ |
| Radius | 33.5 R☉ |
| Mass | 14.2 M☉ (estimated) |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 9h 56m 51.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | −54° 34′ 04″ |
| Space velocity (relative to the Sun) | 37.6 km/s |
In the sky
Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 3.52). Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 35° N. South of latitude 35° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in February, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out around the year 312. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 30 million years.
The Sun seen from there
From a planet around φ Vel, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 13.43, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Cygnus. 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.