subgiant · A1.5IV
Alhena
Alhena is a blue-white subgiant (spectral type A1.5IV) about 109 light-years away. With an apparent magnitude of 1.93 it is a very bright, conspicuous star.
The third-brightest star in Gemini, at the foot of the twin Pollux.
Its light output is roughly 160 times that of the Sun (a rough estimate in visible light, calculated from brightness and distance).
From Germany (52° N) it rises and sets; it is best seen in the evening in December.
Key facts
- Distance
- ≈ 109 light-years
- Spectral type
- A1.5IV (subgiant)
- Colour
- Blue-white
- Apparent magnitude
- 1.93 mag
- Luminosity
- ≈ 160 × Sun
- Position
- Right ascension 6h 38m, declination 16.4°
More well-known stars
Data: Hipparcos / HYG catalogue (CC BY-SA 4.0). Luminosity and visibility are calculated estimates.