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Star

Methuselah Star

Also HD 140283

Open in Ouranos

One of the oldest stars known nearby, a metal-poor subgiant passing through the Sun's neighbourhood from the Milky Way's halo.

Measured

Distance
201 light-years
Constellation
Libra
Position (J2000)
RA 15h 43m 03s, Dec −10.93°

How far, from the Sun

201 light-years. To cross it:

  • Light201 years
  • Voyager 1's speed3.56 million years
  • Driving at 100 km/h2.16 billion years

Voyager 1 at the speed it moved outward over the year to 2026-10-25 (JPL Horizons). Driving: nonstop, never refuelling.

Facts

  • Some age estimates have come close to the age of the Universe itself.
  • It holds only a few thousandths of the Sun's share of iron.

Where this comes from

  • Gaia DR3 parallax 16.2672 ± 0.0260 mas, Gaia DR3 6268770373590148224 (Gaia Collaboration 2023, A&A 674, A1)
  • This research has made use of the SIMBAD database, CDS, Strasbourg, France (Wenger et al. 2000, A&AS 143, 9).
  • This research has made use of the VizieR catalogue access tool, CDS, Strasbourg, France (DOI: 10.26093/cds/vizier).

Every catalogue Ouranos draws is credited on the credits page.