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public Observing fromLocation: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
north SunriseRise: 6:49  
clear_day Transit: 12:50  
SunsetSet: 18:50 south
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All Constellations » Ophiuchus » 

Marfik - λ Ophiuchi (lambda Ophiuchi)

Altitude: -9.3°   Azimuth: 285.2°   Direction: West-North-West

Marfik, also designated as λ Ophiuchi (lambda Ophiuchi), is a variable and multiple hypergiant star in the constellation of Ophiuchus.

Marfik visual magnitude is 3.82. Because of its moderate brightness, Marfik 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 Marfik:

3.82
Hypergiant

Marfik - λ Ophiuchi (lambda Ophiuchi) is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt.

Altitude: -9.3°
Azimuth: 285.2°
Direction: West-North-West

Celestial coordinates and finder chart of Marfik

Marfik 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 Marfik are provided in the following table:

16h 30m 54s
+01° 59’ 02”
17.12°
31.85°
Ophiuchus

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

Finder chart Marfik - λ Ophiuchi (lambda Ophiuchi) star
Simplified finder chart for Marfik - λ Ophiuchi (lambda Ophiuchi).

Visibility of Marfik from your location

Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London

Today's Marfik - λ Ophiuchi (lambda Ophiuchi) rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):

Azimuth: 88.0°
Max altitude: 40.5°
Azimuth: 272.0°

Digitized Sky Survey image of Marfik

The image below is a photograph of Marfik 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 Marfik is -0.027 arcsec per year in Right Ascension and -0.073 arcsec per year in Declination and the associated displacement for the next 10000 years is represented with the red arrow.

Image of Marfik - λ Ophiuchi (lambda Ophiuchi) star
DSS2 image of Marfik. The red arrow shows the motion of Marfik during the next 10000 years (-4.50 arcmin in Right Ascension and -12.17 arcmin in declination);

Distance of Marfik from the Sun and relative movement

Marfik is distant 166.07 light years from the Sun and it is moving towards the Sun at the speed of 14 kilometers per second.

50.94 pc
166.07 ly
-14 km/s
-0.027 arcsec/year
-0.073 arcsec/year

Spectral properties of Marfik

Marfik belongs to spectral class A0 and has a luminosity class of V corresponding to a hypergiant star.

0.28
A0V
10002K

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

HR Diagram
H-R diagram showing the position of Marfik. Attribution: Richard Powell / CC BY-SA

Marfik star system properties

Marfik is a visual double star which can be observed with the help of large telescopes. The table below shows key information about the Marfik double sysyem:

3.82
4.82
1
1.2 arcsec

Alternative designations of Marfik

Marfik
λ Ophiuchi
(lambda Ophiuchi)
10 Ophiuchi
SAO121658
SAO121658