Mimosa
Blue giant · Beta Crucis
Second-brightest star in the Southern Cross
Mimosa is a hot blue giant and the second-brightest star of the Southern Cross. It is a Beta Cephei type pulsating variable whose surface oscillates over a few hours, and it has at least one close companion.
Illustration generated from temperature, not a photograph
14.5 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
25,704 ×
as bright as the Sun
28,840 K
surface · blue-white star
8 R☉
radius (the Sun = 1)
280 ly
from Earth
1.3
apparent magnitude
Visible to the naked eyeno equipment needed · apparent magnitude 1.3
It pours out about 25,704 times the Sun’s light. Its light has been travelling 280 years to reach us, so you see Mimosa as it was 280 years ago.
Source · Wikidata
It lives in
Milky Way
Barred spiral galaxy.
Other notable stars in the Milky Way
Eta CarinaeLuminous blue variableAlnilamBlue supergiantVY Canis MajorisRed hypergiantAlnitakHot blue supergiantDenebBlue-white supergiantMintakaHot blue giant multiple star
Stars of similar brightness
AcruxBlue subgiant (multiple system)31,117 ×HadarBlue giant31,623 ×SpicaBlue giant (close binary)20,512 ×CanopusYellow-white bright giant13,305 ×BetelgeuseRed supergiant59,979 ×SaiphBlue supergiant60,256 ×
Worlds in the same direction on the sky→