hip-59654

Its story

At 571 light-years in Centaurus shines an orange class K star. Its light set out in the late fifteenth century, when Spanish caravels were sighting unknown Atlantic islands and the Mainz printing press was transforming European knowledge. K stars are cooler than the Sun, with warm hues and longer lives than yellow stars. This one has also grown large enough to stand out in the southern sky despite the considerable distance.