HIP 49986 The Sun

Surface temperature: 3,810 K
Radius: 0.24 × the Sun
Luminosity: 0.011 × the Sun
Spectral type: M3

Diagram, not a photograph. Colour from the star’s measured colour index; size from its luminosity and temperature, drawn to one scale with the Sun. Source: HYG stellar database.

Cataloged star · Database record + computed analysis

HIP 49986

A real star from the HYG catalog in the constellation Sextans.

25.7 light-years away Apparent magnitude 9.26

M-type: red dwarf

Its spectral type is M3: the galaxy's most common stars: small, cool, dim, flare-prone, and able to burn for trillions of years. From its measured color, its surface temperature is roughly 3,813 K (3,540 °C), an estimate computed from the catalog's color index.

How far away is it?

It lies 25.7 light-years away (7.87 parsecs, from its measured parallax), within the Sun's wider neighborhood; its light is only 25.7 years old when it reaches your eye.

How powerful is it?

Its computed luminosity is only 0.0107 of the Sun's output, a modest lamp by stellar standards (derived from its brightness and distance).

Can you see it?

At apparent magnitude 9.26, it is invisible to the naked eye, though binoculars will show it. It is visible from both hemispheres.

It varies

This is a catalogued variable star (AN): its brightness measurably changes over time, whether by pulsation, eclipses in a double system, or surface activity.

Everything above is computed from the catalog’s measured values for this star. Where a value is missing, the statement is omitted rather than guessed.

About this record

Data: the HYG stellar database v4.1 (Hipparcos + Yale + Gliese, CC BY-SA, © David Nash / astronexus). Want the full stories? Our deep star guides cover Sirius, Betelgeuse, Proxima Centauri, Vega and three dozen more. You can also browse the catalog or learn how stars live and die.