Anser - α Vulpeculae (alpha Vulpeculae)

Anser, also designated as α Vulpeculae (alpha Vulpeculae), is a variable and double hypergiant star in the constellation of Vulpecula.

Anser visual magnitude is 4.44. Because of its moderate brightness, Anser should be easily visible from locations with dark skyes, while it can be barely visible, or not visible at all, from skyes affected by light pollution.

The table below summarizes the key facts about Anser:

Celestial coordinates and finder chart of Anser

Anser is situated close to the celestial equator, as such, it is at least partly visible from both hemispheres in certain times of the year. Celestial coordinates for the J2000 equinox as well as galactic coordinates of Anser are provided in the following table:

The simplified sky map below shows the position of Anser in the sky:

Visibility of Anser from your location

Today's Anser - α Vulpeculae (alpha Vulpeculae) rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):

Digitized Sky Survey image of Anser

The image below is a photograph of Anser from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2 - see the credits section) taken in the red channel. The area of sky represented in the image is 0.5x0.5 degrees (30x30 arcmins). The proper motion of Anser is -0.125 arcsec per year in Right Ascension and -0.106 arcsec per year in Declination and the associated displacement for the next 1000 years is represented with the red arrow.

Distance of Anser from the Sun and relative movement

Anser is distant 296.36 light years from the Sun and it is moving towards the Sun at the speed of 86 kilometers per second.

Spectral properties of Anser

Anser belongs to spectral class M0 and has a luminosity class of III corresponding to a hypergiant star.

The red dot in the diagram below shows where Anser is situated in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.

Anser star system properties

Anser is a visual double star which can be observed with binoculars or small telescopes. The table below shows key information about the Anser double sysyem:

Alternative designations of Anser