Betelgeuse (HIP 27989)
Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star in the constellation Orion. At 488 light years away, it is the 10th brightest star in the Earth's sky, where it shines at an apparent visual magnitude of 0.45. Betelgeuse is a component of a multiple-star system. The iron abundance of Betelgeuse is +0.09 (123.0% of the Sun). It is moving through the Galaxy at a speed of 30.4 km/s relative to the Sun. Its projected Galactic orbit carries it between 24,400 and 28,500 light years from the center of the Galaxy. It came closest to the Sun 3.5 million years ago when it had brightened to magnitude -0.34 from a distance of 339 light years.
Sky position: RA 5h 55.2m, Dec +7° 24.6'
