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b Centauri
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Star b Centauri

Binary star b Centauri is located 339 light years away from the Sun. It consists of 2 blue giant stars. There is at least one exoplanet in this system.
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Sun distance
339 light years
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b Centauri A

Blue Giant
Spectral class: B3V C

Location +

Ascension iconRight ascension: 14h 41m 57.600s
Declination iconDeclination: -37° 47' 36.594'' (southern hemisphere)
Parallax iconParallax: 9.620
Distance iconSun distance: 339.040 ly | 104.0 pc
Star position
The position of a star tells us where it appears in the sky, similar to how we use coordinates like latitude and longitude on Earth. In astronomy, the three main coordinates are right ascension, declination and distance. .. icon More about Star position in StellarGuide

Basic characteristic

icon weight
Mass: 630 % M Sun
| 6600 M Jupiter
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Star mass
Mass of the star b Centauri A is 6.3 solar masses.

The mass of a star is the total amount of matter it contains. It is one of the most important properties of a star, as it determines almost everything about how the star lives, changes, and dies. In astronomy, star mass is usually measured in solar masses (M☉) — where 1 solar mass is equal to the mass of our Sun... icon More about Star mass in StellarGuide
radius icon
Size: 293 % R Sun
| 29.2 R Jupiter
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Star size
Radius of the star b Centauri A is 2.93 solar radii.

The size of a star refers to its radius — the distance from its center to its surface. Star size is usually measured in solar radii (R☉), where 1 solar radius equals approximately 696,000 kilometers. Depending on their type and life stage, stars can be much smaller or larger than the Sun... icon More about Star size in StellarGuide
temperature icon
Temperature: 18445 K | 3.19 T Sun
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Star temperature
Surface temperature of b Centauri A is 18445 K, which is 319 % of the temperature on the surface of the Sun.

The temperature of a star refers to the temperature at its surface, also called the photosphere. It is measured in kelvins (K), the standard unit for temperature in astronomy. A star’s temperature tells us a lot about its physical properties and where it stands in its evolutionary stage... icon More about Star temperature in StellarGuide
time icon
Age: 0.0184 billions years | 0 Sun
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Star age
Star b Centauri A is 0.0184 billion years old, which is about 0 of the Sun's age.

The age of a star tells us how long it has been shining since it formed. Knowing a star’s age helps astronomers understand its life stage, how it has changed over time, and what will happen to it in the future... icon More about Star age in StellarGuide
luminosity icon
Luminosity: 637.01 L Sun
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Star luminosity
Luminosity is the total amount of energy a star gives off every second. Think of it as the star’s true brightness — not just how bright it looks from Earth. This is important because some stars may appear dim simply because they are far away, not because they’re actually faint... icon More about Star luminosity in StellarGuide

Photometry

Absolute stellar magnitude in different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum from infrared (K band) to ultraviolet (U band).
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
K
2.1
H
1.6
J
1.2
Grp
0.8
I
0.8
G
0.6
V
0.5
Gbp
0.5
B
0.4
U
0.3

b Centauri B

Blue Giant

Basic characteristic

icon weight
Mass: 300 % M Sun
| 6599.7 M Jupiter
(estimate)
Array
radius icon
Size: 1.5 R Sun
(estimate)
temperature iconTemperature: 17200 K
 (estimate)
+
Star temperature
Surface temperature of b Centauri B is estimated to be 17243 K, which is 298 % of the temperature on the surface of the Sun.

The temperature of a star refers to the temperature at its surface, also called the photosphere. It is measured in kelvins (K), the standard unit for temperature in astronomy. A star’s temperature tells us a lot about its physical properties and where it stands in its evolutionary stage... icon More about Star temperature in StellarGuide

Photometry

Absolute stellar magnitude in different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum from infrared (K band) to ultraviolet (U band).
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
K
2.1
H
1.6
J
1.2
Grp
0.8
I
0.8
G
0.6
V
0.5
Gbp
0.5
B
0.4
U
0.3
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b Centauri system structure

 b Centauri A
b Centauri A b 556 AU 3465.2 M⊕ 1800000 days
b Centauri B

More about b Centauri

       b Centauri can be found in southern celestial hemisphere.
Other designations of this star
b Cen, HIP 71865, HIC 71865, HD 129116, CD−37°9618, FK5 2985, GC 19779, HR 5471, SAO 205839
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External sources
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Frequently Asked Questions

How far is the b Centauri system from the Sun?

The b Centauri system is 339 light years or 104.0 parsecs from the Sun.

What galaxy is the b Centauri star in?

The b Centauri is in the Milky Way galaxy just like the Sun.

How many stars are in the b Centauri system?

The b Centauri system contains 2 stars.

What type of star is the b Centauri?

The primary in the b Centauri system is a Blue Giant star.

What temperature is star b Centauri?

The primary in the b Centauri system has a temperature of 18445 K. Find out more about the temperature of stars in Stellar guide

stellar brief logoStellar Brief

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24. 10. 2026
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A planet’s helium atmosphere streams ahead of its orbit, while infrared observations reveal the hidden rhythms of its star. New work also shows how neutron-star tilt can reshape X-ray light, traces the past of massive blue supergiants, and maps cloudy and clear zones on the hot Jupiter WASP-43 b.
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