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AsteriaStar
Red giant · Puppis

HR 3121

Knowledge graphHR 3121HD 65685HIP 38917

Scientific overview

HR 3121 is a red giant in the constellation Puppis (Puppis), lying about 290.95 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 typeK2III
Luminosity classIII
Apparent magnitude5.14
Absolute magnitude0.39
Luminosity (Sun = 1)60.926
Colour index (B−V)1.263
Distance290.95 ly (89.21 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 5519121043675092864 · elevated RUWE

Parallax11.2254 ± 0.1457 masSIMBAD · measured
Distance88.972 pcGaia · estimated
Proper motion (RA)-16.683 mas/yrSIMBAD · measured
Proper motion (Dec)30.084 mas/yrSIMBAD · measured
Radial velocity50.8 ± 2 km/sSIMBAD · measured
Spectral typeK2IIISIMBAD · catalogued
Effective temperature4396.7 KGaia · modeled
Radius18.7126 R_sunGaia · modeled
Surface gravity (log g)1.935 log(cm/s^2)Gaia · modeled
Metallicity [M/H]-0.0941 dexGaia · modeled
Right ascension (ICRS)119.5 degSIMBAD · measured
Declination (ICRS)-45.5777 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 5519121043675092864 · 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 · 1953GCRV..C......0W · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
  • Spectral type: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · sp_type · 1978MSS...C02....0H · catalogue identifier/value · retrieved 2026-07-11
  • Effective temperature: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · teff_gspphot · row 5519121043675092864 · model output · retrieved 2026-07-11
  • Radius: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · radius_gspphot · row 5519121043675092864 · model output · retrieved 2026-07-11
  • Surface gravity (log g): ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · logg_gspphot · row 5519121043675092864 · model output · retrieved 2026-07-11
  • Metallicity [M/H]: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · mh_gspphot · row 5519121043675092864 · 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 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
Puppis
Hemisphere
Southern
Best seen
Winter (N. evening sky)
RA / Dec
7.9644h / -45.5777°

Knowledge connections

  • In constellationPuppis

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.