Orange giant · Hercules

Maasym

Also known as: λ Herculis (λ Her), HIP 85693

mag 4.4370 light-years

About

Maasym (λ Herculis) is an orange giant of magnitude 4.4 in Hercules, about 370 light-years away.

Maasym is in the constellation Hercules.
Best evenings: around late 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 54° 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.

EyesVisible from the suburbs on a clear night, but lost in bright city skies.
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	Maasym
Designation	λ Herculis (λ Her)
Hipparcos number	HIP 85693
Type	Orange giant
Spectral type	K3IIIvar
Colour	OrangeB−V colour index 1.43
Magnitude	4.4The smaller the number, the brighter.
Distance	370 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1660.
Proper motion	0.025″ per year across the sky
Constellation	Hercules
Right ascension (J2000)	17h 30m 44.3s
Declination (J2000)	+26° 06′ 38″

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