giant · B7III
Elnath
Elnath is a blue giant (spectral type B7III) about 130 light-years away. With an apparent magnitude of 1.65 it is a very bright, conspicuous star.
The tip of the Bull's northern horn. The Arabic name means "the butting one".
Its light output is roughly 300 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
- ≈ 130 light-years
- Spectral type
- B7III (giant)
- Colour
- Blue
- Apparent magnitude
- 1.65 mag
- Luminosity
- ≈ 300 × Sun
- Position
- Right ascension 5h 26m, declination 28.6°
More well-known stars
Data: Hipparcos / HYG catalogue (CC BY-SA 4.0). Luminosity and visibility are calculated estimates.