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Phi² Orionis

40 Orionis

Orange giant in Orion

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Proper Name	None
Bayer Designation	Phi² Orionis
Flamsteed Number	40 Orionis
HR (BSC)	1907
HD	37160
Constellation	Orion
Right Ascension	5h 36m 54s
Declination	+9° 17' 26"
Distance	114 light years 35 parsecs
Magnitude	Apparent: +4.09 Absolute: +1.31
Spectral Class	K0IIIbFe-2 orange giant
Optimum Visibility	December / January
Notes	Phi² Orionis is one of a grouping of stars around Meissa and the Lambda Orionis Cluster that form the head of Orion the Hunter. Most of these objects lie more than a thousand light years from the Sun, but this orange star lies in the foreground at a distance of some 114 light years.

Phi¹ and Phi² Orionis together form an optical double - a pair of stars that appear close together in the sky due entirely to their alignment relative to Earth. In fact Phi² is far closer to the Sun (at about 114 light years) than Phi¹, which is nearly ten times farther away. Together with nearby Meissa, the two Phi stars of Orion fall near the centre of an almost circular area of nebulosity, LBN865, whose edge extends out across the sky almost as far as Betelgeuse.

Orange Phi² Orionis is marked in the centre of this image. The blue star to the west (right) is Phi¹ Orionis, with which Phi² forms a widely separated optical double. Imagery provided by Aladin sky atlas

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