Orange giant · Lyra
κ Lyrae
Also known as: κ Lyr, HIP 89826
mag 4.3250 light-years
About
κ Lyrae is an orange giant of magnitude 4.3 in Lyra, about 250 light-years away.
How to find it
- κ Lyrae is in the constellation Lyra.
- Best evenings: around mid-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 north of 44° 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 | κ Lyrae (κ Lyr) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 89826 |
| Type | Orange giant |
| Spectral type | K2IIIvar |
| Colour | Pale orangeB−V colour index 1.16 |
| Magnitude | 4.3The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 250 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1770. |
| Proper motion | 0.044″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Lyra |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 18h 19m 51.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | +36° 03′ 52″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →