Tau Herculis
Scientific overview
Tau Herculis is a subgiant in the constellation Hercules (Herculis), lying about 307.4 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 | B5IV |
| Luminosity class | IV |
| Apparent magnitude | 3.91 |
| Absolute magnitude | -0.96 |
| Luminosity (Sun = 1) | 211 |
| Colour index (B−V) | -0.151 |
| Distance | 307.4 ly (94.25 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 1385978666451514112 · elevated RUWE
| Parallax | 10.1626 ± 0.1825 mas | SIMBAD · measured |
| Distance | 98.0883 pc | Gaia · estimated |
| Proper motion (RA) | -13.162 mas/yr | SIMBAD · measured |
| Proper motion (Dec) | 38.546 mas/yr | SIMBAD · measured |
| Radial velocity | -15.5 ± 0.5 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Spectral type | B5V | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Effective temperature | 13200.2 K | Gaia · modeled |
| Radius | 4.313 R_sun | Gaia · modeled |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 3.8092 log(cm/s^2) | Gaia · modeled |
| Metallicity [M/H] | 0.797 dex | Gaia · modeled |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 244.9 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | 46.3134 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 1385978666451514112 · 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 · 2024A&A...690A.176N · catalogue identifier/value · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Effective temperature: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · teff_gspphot · row 1385978666451514112 · model output · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Radius: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · radius_gspphot · row 1385978666451514112 · model output · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Surface gravity (log g): ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · logg_gspphot · row 1385978666451514112 · model output · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Metallicity [M/H]: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · mh_gspphot · row 1385978666451514112 · 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 subgiant has begun to evolve off the main sequence, brightening and expanding as core hydrogen fusion ends.
Location in the sky
Knowledge connections
- In constellationHercules
Related stars in Hercules
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.