Star · G8.5V
τ Cet
τ Cet is a main-sequence star of spectral type G8.5V in the constellation Cetus, 11.9 light-years from the Sun. It is orbited by 3 confirmed exoplanet(s).
| Other names | tau Cet · Gl 71 · HIP 8102 |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 11.9 light-years (3.65 pc) |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 3.49 |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude 5.68 |
| Spectral type | G8.5V |
| Surface temperature | 5,310 K |
| Luminosity | 0.495 L☉ |
| Radius | 0.83 R☉ |
| Mass | 0.783 M☉ |
| Age | 12.1 billion years |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | -0.52 |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 44m 04.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | −15° 56′ 13″ |
| Space velocity (relative to the Sun) | 37.2 km/s |
In the sky
Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 3.49). Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 74° N. South of latitude 74° 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 2014. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 211 thousand years.
The Sun seen from there
From a planet around τ Cet, the Sun would look like a star of magnitude 2.64, in the direction where our sky has the constellation Boötes. It would be visible to the naked eye.
Planets
Neighbours
Its nearest neighbours in the catalogue (within 20 light-years):
Stellar parameters from the NASA Exoplanet Archive; position and brightness from the HYG / AT-HYG catalogue.