Kappa Aurigae
Scientific overview
Kappa Aurigae is a star in the constellation Auriga (Aurigae), lying about 176.97 light-years from Earth.
Class G. Yellow stars like the Sun. On the main sequence they steadily fuse hydrogen into helium. Such stars have surface temperatures around 5,200–6,000 K and appear yellow to the eye.
Physical properties
| Spectral type | G8IIIvar |
| Luminosity class | III |
| Apparent magnitude | 4.32 |
| Absolute magnitude | 0.65 |
| Luminosity (Sun = 1) | 47.951 |
| Colour index (B−V) | 1.021 |
| Distance | 176.97 ly (54.26 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 3436911415277140224 · elevated RUWE
| Parallax | 18.2703 ± 0.1609 mas | SIMBAD · measured |
| Distance | 54.6237 pc | Gaia · estimated |
| Proper motion (RA) | -72.404 mas/yr | SIMBAD · measured |
| Proper motion (Dec) | -261.1 mas/yr | SIMBAD · measured |
| Radial velocity | 20.74 ± 0.12 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Spectral type | G8.5IIIb | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Effective temperature | 4670.2 K | Gaia · modeled |
| Radius | 11.704 R_sun | Gaia · modeled |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 2.2895 log(cm/s^2) | Gaia · modeled |
| Metallicity [M/H] | -0.5816 dex | Gaia · modeled |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 93.8445 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | 29.4981 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 3436911415277140224 · 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 · 2022yCat.1355....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Spectral type: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · sp_type · 1989ApJS...71..245K · catalogue identifier/value · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Effective temperature: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · teff_gspphot · row 3436911415277140224 · model output · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Radius: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · radius_gspphot · row 3436911415277140224 · model output · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Surface gravity (log g): ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · logg_gspphot · row 3436911415277140224 · model output · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Metallicity [M/H]: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · mh_gspphot · row 3436911415277140224 · 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.
Location in the sky
Knowledge connections
- In constellationAuriga
Related stars in Auriga
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.