Yellow giant · Hercules

Kornephoros

Also known as: β Herculis (β Her), HIP 80816

mag 2.8140 light-years

About

Kornephoros (β Herculis) is a yellow giant of magnitude 2.8 in Hercules, about 140 light-years away.

Kornephoros is in the constellation Hercules.
Best evenings: around mid-July 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 north of 59° S.

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.

EyesEasy, even from town.
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.

Proper name	Kornephoros
Designation	β Herculis (β Her)
Hipparcos number	HIP 80816
Type	Yellow giant
Spectral type	G8III
Colour	Pale orangeB−V colour index 0.95
Magnitude	2.8The smaller the number, the brighter.
Distance	140 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1890.
Proper motion	0.099″ per year across the sky
Constellation	Hercules
Right ascension (J2000)	16h 30m 13.2s
Declination (J2000)	+21° 29′ 23″

Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →