Red giant · Lynx
α Lyncis
Also known as: α Lyn, HIP 45860
mag 3.1200 light-years
About
α Lyncis is a red giant of magnitude 3.1 in Lynx, about 200 light-years away.
How to find it
- α Lyncis is in the constellation Lynx.
- Best evenings: around late March 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 46° 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.
What you will see
- 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.
Facts
| Designation | α Lyncis (α Lyn) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 45860 |
| Type | Red giant |
| Spectral type | M0IIIvar |
| Colour | Orange-redB−V colour index 1.55 |
| Magnitude | 3.1The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 200 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1820. |
| Proper motion | 0.22″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Lynx |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 09h 21m 03.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +34° 23′ 33″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →