Star · K4III
φ³ Cet
φ³ Cet is a giant star of spectral type K4III in the constellation Cetus, 522.7 light-years from the Sun.
| Other names | HIP 4371 |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 522.7 light-years (160.3 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 5.35 |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −0.67 |
| Spectral type | K4III |
| Surface temperature | 3,790 K |
| Luminosity | 592 L☉ |
| Radius | 56.5 R☉ |
| Mass | 5.63 M☉ (estimated) |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 56m 01.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | −11° 15′ 59″ |
| Space velocity (relative to the Sun) | 33.6 km/s |
In the sky
Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 5.35). Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 79° N. South of latitude 79° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in October, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out around the year 1503. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 9.3 million years.
The Sun seen from there
From a planet around φ³ Cet, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 10.85, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Virgo. 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.