51 Ophiuchi
Scientific overview
51 Ophiuchi is a main-sequence star in the constellation Ophiuchus (Ophiuchi), lying about 405.7 light-years from Earth.
Class A. White stars with strong hydrogen lines. Many of the brightest stars in the sky are class A. Such stars have surface temperatures around 7,500–10,000 K and appear white to the eye.
Physical properties
| Spectral type | A0V |
| Luminosity class | V |
| Apparent magnitude | 4.78 |
| Absolute magnitude | -0.69 |
| Luminosity (Sun = 1) | 165 |
| Colour index (B−V) | 0.016 |
| Distance | 405.7 ly (124.38 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 4110602530665608064
| Parallax | 7.9538 ± 0.1047 mas | SIMBAD · measured |
| Distance | 125.3 pc | Gaia · estimated |
| Proper motion (RA) | 0.86 mas/yr | SIMBAD · measured |
| Proper motion (Dec) | -25.627 mas/yr | SIMBAD · measured |
| Radial velocity | -11.4 ± 2.5 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Spectral type | A0V | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 262.9 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | -23.9626 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 4110602530665608064 · 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 · 2006AstL...32..759G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Spectral type: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · sp_type · 1988MSS...C04....0H · 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 main-sequence star fuses hydrogen into helium in its core. It will remain on the main sequence for most of its life before evolving into a giant.
Location in the sky
Knowledge connections
- In constellationOphiuchus
Related stars in Ophiuchus
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.