Star profile

Marsic

Kappa Herculis · Hercules

3D likeness based on its real data · class G · ~5,500 K

What is Marsic

Marsic occupies a quiet corner of Hercules, the hero who strides across the northern sky carrying his twelve labours. A yellow star 367 light-years away, its name comes from the Arabic «al-mirfaq», the elbow, after its anatomical position in the figure of the demigod. Its light takes nearly four centuries to reach us: when it set out, the first gazettes were being printed in Europe and the modern press was being born.

Where it is and when to see it

Marsic lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is May, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it culminates about 56° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 66° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 39° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 73° S.

It ranks no. 41 in brightness among the 136 stars of Hercules in our catalogue. To find it, start from Kornephoros, the brightest: it lies about 7° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 370 years ago.

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Astronomical data for Marsic

Constellation: Hercules
Apparent magnitude: 5.00
Distance: 367.8 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 242.019° · Dec 17.047°
Catalogue: HIP 79043 · HD 145001

A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.

Other stars in Hercules

Hercules has 136 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 136 stars in Hercules