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Xi Ophiuchi
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Star Xi Ophiuchi

Binary star Xi Ophiuchi is located 57 light years away from the Sun. It consists of a yellow-white star and a orange star. For now, there are no known exoplanets in this star system.
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Sun distance
57 light years
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Xi Ophiuchi A

Yellow-White star, High proper motion star
Spectral class: F2V

Location +

Ascension iconRight ascension: 17h 21m 0.678s
Declination iconDeclination: -21° 6' 49.812'' (southern hemisphere)
Parallax iconParallax: 57.082
Distance iconSun distance: 57.138 ly | 17.5 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: 130 % M Sun
| 1362 M Jupiter
+
Star mass
Mass of the star Xi Ophiuchi A is 1.3 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: 159 % R Sun
| 15.8 R Jupiter
+
Star size
Radius of the star Xi Ophiuchi A is 1.59 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: 6611 K | 1.14 T Sun
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Star temperature
Surface temperature of Xi Ophiuchi A is 6611 K, which is 114 % 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: 0.916 billions years | 0.2 Sun
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Star age
Star Xi Ophiuchi A is 0.916 billion years old, which is about 0.2 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: 4.429 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

Magnitude iconApparent magnitude (V): 4.4
Magnitude iconAbsolute magnitude (V): 3.2
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

Xi Ophiuchi B

Orange star, High proper motion star
Spectral class: K3

Basic characteristic

icon weight
Mass: 80 % M Sun
| 785.7 M Jupiter
 (estimate)
+
Star mass
The mass of the star Xi Ophiuchi B is unknown. Based on its other characteristics, it is estimated to be about 80 % of the Sun's mass.

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: 80 % R Sun
| 7.5 R Jupiter
(estimate)
+
Star size
Radius of the star Xi Ophiuchi B is not known. Its estimated value based on other similar stars is about 80 % 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 iconTemperature: 4800 K
 (estimate)
+
Star temperature
Surface temperature of Xi Ophiuchi B is estimated to be 4796 K, which is 83 % 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

Magnitude iconApparent magnitude (V): 8.9
Magnitude iconAbsolute magnitude (V): 7.7
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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Xi Ophiuchi system structure

 Xi Ophiuchi A
Xi Ophiuchi B

More about Xi Ophiuchi

       Xi Ophiuchi can be found in southern celestial hemisphere, and it is possible to see it with naked eye. The star is also observable from Northern America, Europe and Asia.
Other designations of this star
ksi Oph, ξ Oph, 40 Ophiuchi, BD−20°4731, FK5 917, GC 23423, HD 156897, HIP 84893, HR 6445, SAO 185296, CCDM J17210-2107AB, WDS J17210-2107AB, LTT 6908, Gaia EDR3 4115142207982341504
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External sources
simbad icon
Simbad database (* ksi Oph B)
Astronomical database SIMBAD (the Set of Identifications, Measurements and Bibliography for Astronomical Data)
gaia icon
Gaia database (Gaia EDR3 4115142276679903360)
Archive from the Gaia mission

Frequently Asked Questions

How far is the Xi Ophiuchi system from the Sun?

The Xi Ophiuchi system is 57 light years or 17.5 parsecs from the Sun.

What galaxy is the Xi Ophiuchi star in?

The Xi Ophiuchi is in the Milky Way galaxy just like the Sun.

How many stars are in the Xi Ophiuchi system?

The Xi Ophiuchi system contains 2 stars.

What type of star is the Xi Ophiuchi?

The primary in the Xi Ophiuchi system is a Yellow-White star star.

What temperature is star Xi Ophiuchi?

The primary in the Xi Ophiuchi system has a temperature of 6611 K. Find out more about the temperature of stars in Stellar guide
Closest stars

 HD 158233
 - 4.5 ly

LP 864-14
 - 4.8 ly

58 Ophiuchi
 1.3 M☉ 5.3 ly

Gaia DR3 4117220559841059840
 - 5.6 ly

DENIS J173342.3-165449
 - 5.7 ly
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