Yellow main-sequence star · Ara
Cervantes
Also known as: μ Arae (μ Ara), HIP 86796
mag 5.151 light-years
About
Cervantes (μ Arae) is a yellow main-sequence star of magnitude 5.1 in Ara, about 51 light-years away.
How to find it
- Cervantes is in the constellation Ara.
- Best evenings: around early August it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from south of 28° N.
When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.
What you will see
- EyesNeeds a dark sky away from city lights.
- Binoculars (10×50)A sharp point; binoculars bring out its colour and the fainter stars around it.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)Still a point of light at any magnification — stars are too far away to show a disc. Low in the sky, bright stars twinkle and flash colours.
Stars look the same in any instrument: brighter and sharper, but never bigger.
Facts
| Proper name | Cervantes |
|---|---|
| Designation | μ Arae (μ Ara) |
| Hipparcos number | HIP 86796 |
| Type | Yellow main-sequence star |
| Spectral type | G5V |
| Colour | YellowB−V colour index 0.69 |
| Magnitude | 5.1The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 51 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1975. |
| Proper motion | 0.19″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Ara |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 17h 44m 08.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | −51° 50′ 03″ |
More in Ara
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →