Kapteyn's Star

Star · Subdwarf star in the constellation Pictor

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About Kapteyn's Star

Kapteyn's Star is about 12.76 light-years from the Sun, so the light we see from it left about 12.76 years ago.

At apparent magnitude 8.86 it is too faint for the naked eye but within reach of binoculars.

It gives out 3.81 × 10⁻³ times as much light as the Sun.

It has one known planet.

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

Distance	12.76 light-years (3.91 pc)
Spectral type	M0V
Apparent magnitude	8.86
Absolute magnitude	10.90
Luminosity	3.81 × 10⁻³ × the Sun
Constellation	Pic
Known planets	1

Planets: NASA Exoplanet Archive (Planetary Systems Composite Parameters).

Known planets

Planet	Mass (Earth = 1)	Radius (Earth = 1)	Orbit (days)	Found
Kapteyn c	7	2.54	121.54	2014, radial velocity

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: Nearest stars, a view about 24 light-years across.

From Wikipedia

Kapteyn's Star is a class M1 red subdwarf about 12.83 light-years from Earth in the southern constellation Pictor; it is the closest halo star to the Solar System and one of the nearest stars. With a slightly variable apparent magnitude of about 8.8, it is visible through binoculars or a telescope.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Kapteyn's Star, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.