3 Ceti
Scientific overview
3 Ceti is a red supergiant in the constellation Cetus (Ceti), lying about 2,090.7 light-years from Earth.
Class K. Cooler orange stars. Long-lived and abundant; many are stable hosts for planets. Such stars have surface temperatures around 3,700–5,200 K and appear orange to the eye.
Physical properties
| Spectral type | K3Ibvar |
| Luminosity class | Ib |
| Apparent magnitude | 4.99 |
| Absolute magnitude | -4.04 |
| Luminosity (Sun = 1) | 3,611 |
| Colour index (B−V) | 1.619 |
| Distance | 2,090.7 ly (641.03 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 2428589330539122304 · elevated RUWE
| Parallax | 1.6457 ± 0.1096 mas | SIMBAD · measured |
| Distance | 599.3 pc | Gaia · estimated |
| Proper motion (RA) | -5.871 mas/yr | SIMBAD · measured |
| Proper motion (Dec) | -11.883 mas/yr | SIMBAD · measured |
| Radial velocity | -42.1 ± 0.33 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Spectral type | K3Ib | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Effective temperature | 4309.2 K | Gaia · modeled |
| Radius | 157.6 R_sun | Gaia · modeled |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 0.9271 log(cm/s^2) | Gaia · modeled |
| Metallicity [M/H] | 0.0559 dex | Gaia · modeled |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 1.1255 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | -10.5095 deg | SIMBAD · 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 2428589330539122304 · 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 · 2018yCat.1345....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Spectral type: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · sp_type · 1952ApJ...116..122R · catalogue identifier/value · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Effective temperature: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · teff_gspphot · row 2428589330539122304 · model output · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Radius: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · radius_gspphot · row 2428589330539122304 · model output · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Surface gravity (log g): ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · logg_gspphot · row 2428589330539122304 · model output · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Metallicity [M/H]: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · mh_gspphot · row 2428589330539122304 · model output · 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 supergiant is a colossal, cool, luminous evolved star. The largest known stars are red supergiants, and many end as supernovae.
Location in the sky
Knowledge connections
- In constellationCetus
Related stars in Cetus
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.