Magnitude 3.486 Apparent magnitude (V) 3.486 | Constellation Leo | |
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Similar Zeta Leonis, Gamma Leonis, Delta Leonis, Lambda Leonis, Tau Leonis | ||
Eta Leonis (η Leo, η Leonis) is a fourth-magnitude star in the constellation Leo. It doesn't have a proper name. Since 1943, the spectrum of this star has served as one of the stable anchor points by which other stars are classified.
Properties
Eta Leonis is a white supergiant with the stellar classification A0Ib. Though its apparent magnitude is 3.5, making it a relatively dim star to the naked eye, it is nearly 20,000 times more luminous than the Sun, with an absolute magnitude of -5.60. The Hipparcos astrometric data has estimated the distance of Eta Leonis to be roughly 400 parsecs from Earth, or 1,300 light years away.
There is evidence suggesting that Eta Leonis is part of a binary star system.
References
Eta Leonis Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA