48 Librae
Scientific overview
48 Librae is a blue supergiant in the constellation Libra (Librae), lying about 467.9 light-years from Earth.
Class B. Hot, blue-white stars. Massive and luminous, they often light up the regions where they form. Such stars have surface temperatures around 10,000–30,000 K and appear blue-white to the eye.
Physical properties
| Spectral type | B8Ia/Iab |
| Luminosity class | Iab |
| Apparent magnitude | 4.95 |
| Absolute magnitude | -0.83 |
| Luminosity (Sun = 1) | 188 |
| Colour index (B−V) | -0.08 |
| Distance | 467.9 ly (143.47 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 6263223955904774656
| Parallax | 7.154 ± 0.1218 mas | SIMBAD · measured |
| Distance | 138.9 pc | Gaia · estimated |
| Proper motion (RA) | -13.843 mas/yr | SIMBAD · measured |
| Proper motion (Dec) | -16.271 mas/yr | SIMBAD · measured |
| Radial velocity | -25.01 ± 1.58 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Spectral type | B5IIIp_sh | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Effective temperature | 13352.3 K | Gaia · modeled |
| Radius | 5.064 R_sun | Gaia · modeled |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 3.6312 log(cm/s^2) | Gaia · modeled |
| Metallicity [M/H] | -0.5515 dex | Gaia · modeled |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 239.5 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | -14.2794 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 6263223955904774656 · 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 · 2023ApJS..266...11B · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Spectral type: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · sp_type · 1968ApJS...17..371L · catalogue identifier/value · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Effective temperature: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · teff_gspphot · row 6263223955904774656 · model output · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Radius: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · radius_gspphot · row 6263223955904774656 · model output · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Surface gravity (log g): ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · logg_gspphot · row 6263223955904774656 · model output · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Metallicity [M/H]: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · mh_gspphot · row 6263223955904774656 · 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 blue supergiant is among the most luminous stars known — enormous, hot, and massive. Many end their lives as supernovae.
Location in the sky
Knowledge connections
- In constellationLibra
Related stars in Libra
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.