Markeb

HR 3734 · HIP 45941 · κ Vel

👁️ Naked-eye

📋 A written introduction is coming — for now this page shows official values only.

Star

Apparent magnitude: 2.473 mag
Parallax: 5.7 mas → about 572.2 light-years away
Spectral type: B2IV
Right ascension: 140.5284°
Declination: -55.0107°
Designation: HR 3734
Bayer designation: κ Vel
HIP number: 45941
IAU name adopted: 2017-09-05
Name language: Arabic
Name origin (IAU): Evidently from the Arabic word markab, "a ship or any vehicle," presumably standing for the Greek constellation name Argo. However, Arabic sources do not mention markab for Argo, only al-safina ("the Ship"), hence the ultimate origin of the name remains a mystery. "Markeb" was applied as a star name to ρ Pup in medieval times, to κ Pup in Early Modern rimes, and finally to κ Vel in recent times when Argo was divided into its four modern constellations

Constellation

Light from this object takes about 572 years to reach Earth — the light you see tonight left around AD 1454 (official distance ÷ speed of light).
At magnitude 2.5 it is bright enough for the naked eye (limit about 6) — look from somewhere dark.
Declination -55° — it never rises in Seoul (37.6° N); you need to be farther south to see it.

Worked out from this object's official values.