Groombridge 1618 is a nearby orange dwarf in Ursa Major, a star smaller and cooler than the Sun, named after the catalogue that first listed it.
At a glance
| type | orange star (class K) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 15.9 light-years (4.87 pc) |
| its light left it | 15.9 years ago |
| luminosity | 0.046 × the Sun |
| radius | 0.6 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 4,000 K |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Groombridge 1618
Groombridge 1618 is a main-sequence star of class K, between the Sun and the red dwarfs in size and temperature. Stars like it live much longer than the Sun because they spend their fuel slowly, and orange dwarfs are often discussed as good long-lived hosts for planets.
Its name comes from the catalogue of stars near the north celestial pole compiled by the English astronomer Stephen Groombridge. It lies within the outline of the Great Bear, but it is too faint to see without binoculars or a telescope.
What you see in the piece
From Earth it sits just below what the eye can pick out in the piece. Fly to it and it is a warm orange disc, its colour a step between the Sun and the red dwarfs around it.
Questions
Can you see Groombridge 1618 with the naked eye?
No, it is too faint for the naked eye, though binoculars show it. Its luminosity is 0.046 × the Sun.