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AsteriaStar
Red giant · Centaurus

HR 4906

Knowledge graphHR 4906HD 112213HIP 63066

Scientific overview

HR 4906 is a red giant in the constellation Centaurus (Centauri), lying about 661.6 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 typeM0III
Luminosity classIII
Apparent magnitude5.46
Absolute magnitude-1.08
Luminosity (Sun = 1)235
Colour index (B−V)1.668
Distance661.6 ly (202.84 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 6138676741904648448

Parallax4.5482 ± 0.094 masSIMBAD · measured
Distance219.6 pcGaia · estimated
Proper motion (RA)-38.063 mas/yrSIMBAD · measured
Proper motion (Dec)-12.427 mas/yrSIMBAD · measured
Radial velocity-8.47 ± 0.2 km/sSIMBAD · measured
Spectral typeM0IIISIMBAD · catalogued
Right ascension (ICRS)193.8 degSIMBAD · measured
Declination (ICRS)-42.9157 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 6138676741904648448 · 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 · 1978MSS...C02....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 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
Centaurus
Hemisphere
Southern
Best seen
Spring (N. evening sky)
RA / Dec
12.9221h / -42.9157°

Knowledge connections

  • In constellationCentaurus

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.