Star
Alphard
Orange star · K3III
α Hydrae · Hydra
Shown in its true colour — like most stars, it is too far away to photograph as more than a point of light.
Alphard is the brightest star in the constellation of Hydra. It has the Bayer designation Alpha Hydrae, which is that is Latinized from α Hydrae, and abbreviated Alpha Hya or α Hya. It is a giant star, cooler than the Sun but larger and more luminous. It is about 177 light-years away.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
In your sky
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Key facts
Distance
~180 light-years
Apparent mag.
+1.99
Spectral type
K3III
Luminosity
426 × Sun
Absolute mag.
−1.72
Catalogue
HIP 46390
Spectral type
K3III
True colour from its B–V index (1.44): a surface around 3900 K.
Did you know
- Alphard is also known as α Hydrae.
- Its spectral type K3III marks it as a orange star.
- It lies in the constellation Hydra.
