hip-102388

Its story

30 Vulpeculae inhabits the small Vulpecula, the Little Fox Hevelius traced between the Swan and the Eagle. It is an orange giant 325 light-years away, a star that has exhausted the hydrogen in its core and now expands with the stately slowness of mature suns. The constellation is modest, with no bright alpha to anchor it, so each of its members rewards a patient gaze —this one offers a calm glow best caught with binoculars rather than the naked eye.