70 Ophiuchi A

Ophiuchus

4.03
Apparent Mag
16.58
Distance (ly)
K0V
Spectral Type
5,300
Temperature (K)

70 Ophiuchi A is the primary component of one of the best-known binary star systems in the sky. This K-type main-sequence star and its K5V companion orbit each other in 88.3 years and are easily split with small telescopes.

Stellar Data

Apparent Magnitude4.03
Absolute Magnitude5.5
Distance16.58 light-years
Spectral TypeK0V
Temperature5,300 K
Luminosity0.6 L☉
Radius0.89 R☉
Mass0.9 M☉
Right Ascension18h 05m 27.3s
Declination+02° 30′ 00″
ConstellationOphiuchus

Notable Facts

  • One of the best-known visual binary stars for amateur astronomers
  • Orbital period of 88.3 years
  • Subject of a historical but spurious planetary detection claim in the 19th century

More Stars in Ophiuchus

View constellation