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Red giant · Hercules

104 Herculis

Knowledge graph104 HerHR 6815HD 167006HIP 89172

Scientific overview

104 Herculis is a red giant in the constellation Hercules (Herculis), lying about 544.5 light-years from Earth.

Class M. Cool red stars. The most common type in the galaxy, ranging from red dwarfs to red giants. Such stars have surface temperatures around 2,400–3,700 K and appear red to the eye.

Physical properties

Spectral typeM3III
Luminosity classIII
Apparent magnitude4.96
Absolute magnitude-1.15
Luminosity (Sun = 1)252
Colour index (B−V)1.643
Distance544.5 ly (166.94 pc)

Values are real catalogue data; fields without a reliable value are omitted, never estimated.

Precision measurements

Astrometry and astrophysics from SIMBAD and Gaia DR3 · Gaia DR3 4591092238654107904 · elevated RUWE

Parallax6.2518 ± 0.1178 masSIMBAD · measured
Distance159.9 pcGaia · estimated
Proper motion (RA)-15.295 mas/yrSIMBAD · measured
Proper motion (Dec)24.487 mas/yrSIMBAD · measured
Radial velocity-1.19 ± 0.29 km/sSIMBAD · measured
Spectral typeM3IIISIMBAD · catalogued
Right ascension (ICRS)273 degSIMBAD · measured
Declination (ICRS)31.4053 degSIMBAD · measured
Full field-level provenance
  • Parallax: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · plx_value · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
  • Distance: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia EDR3 · Bailer-Jones (2021) · external.gaiaedr3_distance · r_med_geo · row 4591092238654107904 · Bayesian estimate · retrieved 2026-07-11
  • Proper motion (RA): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · pmra · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
  • Proper motion (Dec): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · pmdec · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
  • Radial velocity: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · rvz_radvel · 2009A&A...498..627F · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
  • Spectral type: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · sp_type · 1989ApJS...71..245K · catalogue identifier/value · retrieved 2026-07-11
  • Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
  • Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11

measured = direct catalogue value · estimated = Bayesian inference (Bailer-Jones distance) · modeled = model output (Gaia GSP-Phot). Fields a source did not provide are omitted, never invented.

Evolution

A red giant is an evolved star that has exhausted core hydrogen and expanded enormously, cooling at its surface as it fuses heavier elements in shells.

Location in the sky

Constellation
Hercules
Hemisphere
Northern
Best seen
Summer (N. evening sky)
RA / Dec
18.1984h / 31.4054°

Knowledge connections

  • In constellationHercules

Sources

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

  • HYG DatabaseHYG Database (Hipparcos + Yale Bright Star + Gliese), by D. Nash / astronexus

    Aggregated, openly-licensed star catalogue combining Hipparcos, the Yale Bright Star Catalogue, and the Gliese Catalogue of Nearby Stars.

  • HipparcosESA Hipparcos space astrometry mission

    High-precision parallax, magnitude, and position for ~118,000 stars.