Map of the Universe

Achernar

Star · Brightest star in the constellation Eridanus

Open in the map →

Achernar
Picture: Eridanus_constellation_map.png: Torsten Bronger, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

About Achernar

Achernar is about 139.44 light-years from the Sun, so the light we see from it left about 139.44 years ago.

At apparent magnitude 0.45 it can be seen with the naked eye from a dark site.

It gives out 1.05e+03 times as much light as the Sun.

The map lists it as a star and shows it among the stars around the Sun, drawn on the plane of the Milky Way.

Key numbers

Distance139.44 light-years (42.75 pc)
Spectral typeB3Vp
Apparent magnitude0.45
Absolute magnitude-2.71
Luminosity1.05e+03 × the Sun
ConstellationEri

Where it is

Its place in the universe, from the inside out: Solar neighbourhood › Local Bubble › Orion–Cygnus Arm (Local Arm) › Milky Way › Local Group › Virgo Supercluster › Laniakea Supercluster › Observable universe.

Zoom out to see it in context: 100 light-years, a view about 220 light-years across.

From Wikipedia

Achernar is the brightest star in the constellation of Eridanus and the ninth-brightest in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation Alpha Eridani, which is Latinized from α Eridani and abbreviated Alpha Eri or α Eri. The name Achernar applies to the primary component of a binary system.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Achernar, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Nearby on the map