Denebola, a white main-sequence star in Leo
Denebola is a white main-sequence star in the constellation Leo. At 36 light years away, it is the 63rd brightest star in the Earth's sky, where it shines at an apparent visual magnitude of 2.14.
Denebola (HIP 57632)
Denebola is a white main-sequence star in the constellation Leo. At 36 light years away, it is the 63rd brightest star in the Earth's sky, where it shines at an apparent visual magnitude of 2.14. Denebola is the primary component of a multiple-star system. The iron abundance of Denebola is +0.07 (117.5% of the Sun). It is moving through the Galaxy at a speed of 26.6 km/s relative to the Sun. Its projected Galactic orbit carries it between 23,100 and 24,600 light years from the center of the Galaxy. Denebola has no confirmed planets to date (early 2012), but does have a circumstellar debris disk.
Sky position: RA 11h 49.1m, Dec +14° 34.2'
Common designations: Denebola, Beta Leonis, 94 Leonis, HIP 57632, HD 102647, Gliese 448.0
Learn how to find naked-eye stars with:
Stars of the Northern Hemisphere
Deluxe Astronomy Poster
Brightest stars in Leo:
(list all)
| Rank | Mag. | Star |
| 1 | 1.36 | Regulus |
| 2 | 2.01 | Algieba |
3
| 2.14
) Denebola
| Rank | Mag. | Star |
| 4 | 2.56 | Zosma |
| 5 | 2.97 | Ras Elased Australis |
| 6 | 3.33 | Chertan |
| 7 | 3.43 | Adhafera |
| 8 | 3.48 | Al'dzhabkhakh |
| 9 | 3.52 | Subra |
| 10 | 3.84 | Rho Leonis |
| 11 | 3.88 | Ras Elased Borealis |
| 12 | 4.00 | Iota Leonis |
| 13 | 4.05 | Sigma Leonis |
| 14 | 4.30 | 54 Leonis |
| 15 | 4.30 | Upsilon Leonis |
| 16 | 4.32 | Alterf |
| 17 | 4.39 | A Leonis |
Hover over other bright stars to identify or click to jump.
Galactic Orbit of Denebola
(compared to the Sun)
E
ccentricity: 3.1% vs. 16.0%Angle φ : -115.8°vs. 26.0°
Semi-major axis : 7,308 pc vs. 8,686 pc
Semi-minor axis: 7,304 pc vs. 8,574 pc
Focus-to-center
: 229 pcvs. 1,388 pcSemilatus rectum : 7,300 pc vs. 8,464 pc
Perigalacticon: 7,079 pc vs. 7,297 pc
Apogalacticon
: 7,536 pcvs. 10,074 pcSome Tabulated XHIP Data for Denebola
(see also: SIMBAD)
Astrometry
2007A&A...474..653V
| Position | Proper Motion | |
| Right Ascension: | 177.26615960° ±0.54 mas | -497.68 ±0.87 mas/yr. |
| Declination: | 14.57233678° ±0.31 mas | -114.67 ±0.44 mas/yr. |
| Galactic Longitude: | 250.64219198° | -258.05 mas/yr. |
| Galactic Latitude: | 70.80082613° | -440.73 mas/yr. |
Parallax: 90.91 ± 0.52 mas
Spectrography
Spectral Type: A3V 1995ApJS...99..135A.
Radial Velocity: -0.20 ±0.50 km/s [A rating] 2006AstL...32..759G.
Iron Abundance [Fe/H]:
0.07 dex
2003A&A...398.1121E.
Photometry
| band | magnitude | Abs. Mag. |
| U | ||
| B | 2.23 | 2.02 |
| V | 2.14 | 1.93 |
| R | 2.00 | 1.79 |
| I | 2.00 | 1.79 |
| J | 1.85 | 1.65 |
| H | 1.93 | 1.72 |
| K | 1.88 | 1.68 |
B-V: +0.09 V-I: +0.14
Derivations
Heliocentric distance: 11.00 pc (0.6% margin of error)
Galactocentric distance: 7,401 pc
Transverse velocity: 26.6 km/s
3D heliocentric position and motion:
|
toward: |
Galactic center | Galactic rotation | North Galactic Pole |
| Position ( X, Y, Z) | -1.2 pc | -3.4 pc | 10.4 pc |
| Velocity (U, V, W) | -19.9 km/s | -16.0 km/s | -7.7 km/s |