Tau Ophiuchi
Scientific overview
Tau Ophiuchi is a main-sequence star in the constellation Ophiuchus (Ophiuchi), lying about 169.7 light-years from Earth.
Class F. Yellow-white stars, somewhat hotter and more massive than the Sun. Such stars have surface temperatures around 6,000–7,500 K and appear yellow-white to the eye.
Physical properties
| Spectral type | dF3 J |
| Apparent magnitude | 5.24 |
| Absolute magnitude | 1.66 |
| Luminosity (Sun = 1) | 18.897 |
| Colour index (B−V) | 0.38 |
| Distance | 169.7 ly (52.03 pc) |
Values are real catalogue data; fields without a reliable value are omitted, never estimated.
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
- Part of systemTau Ophiuchi
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.