Rigil Kentaurus

Alpha Centauri

Centaurus

-0.27
Apparent Mag
4.37
Distance (ly)
G2V
Spectral Type
5,790
Temperature (K)

Rigil Kentaurus is the traditional name for the Alpha Centauri system as seen with the naked eye. It is the third-brightest star and the closest star system to Earth.

Stellar Data

Apparent Magnitude-0.27
Absolute Magnitude4.38
Distance4.37 light-years
Spectral TypeG2V
Temperature5,790 K
Luminosity1.519 L☉
Radius1.2234 R☉
Mass1.1 M☉
Right Ascension14h 39m 36.5s
Declination-60° 50′ 02.4″
ConstellationCentaurus

Notable Facts

  • Rigil Kentaurus means foot of the centaur in Arabic
  • As a combined system it is the third-brightest star
  • It is the closest star system to the Sun at 4.37 light-years

More Stars in Centaurus

View constellation