κ Centauri (kappa Centauri)
κ Centauri is a variable and double sub-giant star in the constellation of Centaurus.
κ Centauri visual magnitude is 3.13. Because of its moderate brightness, κ Centauri should be easily visible from locations with dark skies, while it can be barely visible, or not visible at all, from skies affected by light pollution.
The proper motion of κ Centauri is -0.019 arcsec per year in Right Ascension and -0.024 arcsec per year in Declination and the associated displacement for the next 10000 years is represented with the red arrow.
Key facts about κ Centauri
κ Centauri (kappa Centauri) is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom.
Altitude: -40.0°
Azimuth: 249.4°
Direction: West-South-West
Celestial coordinates and finder chart of κ Centauri
κ Centauri is situated south of the celestial equator, as such, it is more easily visible from the southern hemisphere. Celestial coordinates for the J2000 equinox as well as galactic coordinates of κ Centauri are provided in the following table:
The simplified sky map below shows the position of κ Centauri in the sky:
Visibility of κ Centauri from your location
Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
κ Centauri (kappa Centauri) is currently not visible from Greenwich, United Kingdom
Distance of κ Centauri from the Sun and relative movement
κ Centauri is distant 538.84 light years from the Sun and it is moving far from the Sun at the speed of 8 kilometers per second.
Spectral properties of κ Centauri
κ Centauri belongs to spectral class B2 and has a luminosity class of IV corresponding to a sub-giant star.
The red dot in the diagram below shows where κ Centauri is situated in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.
κ Centauri star system properties
κ Centauri is a visual double star which can be observed only with the help of very large telescopes. The table below shows key information about the κ Centauri double sysyem: