---
title: "42 α Com"
url: "https://spacecatalog.org/object/hd-114379"
release: "DR1"
licence: "CC-BY-SA-4.0"
citation: "SpaceCatalog. 42 α Com [catalogue entry]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/hd-114379"
---

# 42 α Com

42 α Com is an F5 V yellow-white [star](https://spacecatalog.org/stars) in the constellation [Coma Berenices](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/coma-berenices), 46.72 ly from Earth, shining at apparent magnitude 5.17 (V). Other catalogues list it as Gl 501B, HD 114379 and HR 4969.

## At a glance

- **WHAT IT IS:** V yellow-white star
- **HOW FAR:** 46.72 ly — The light arriving now left it that long ago.
- **HOW BRIGHT (V):** 5.17 — Bright enough for the naked eye, under a sky dark enough.
- **WHERE TO LOOK:** [Coma Berenices](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/coma-berenices) — The patch of sky it sits in, as seen from Earth.

## Properties

| Quantity | Value |
| --- | --- |
| CLASS | F5 V yellow-white star |
| DISTANCE FROM EARTH | 46.72 ly — by parallax |
| APPARENT MAGNITUDE (V) | 5.17 |
| ABSOLUTE MAGNITUDE (V) | 4.39 |
| CONSTELLATION | Coma Berenices |
| RIGHT ASCENSION (J2000) | 13h 09m 59.0s |
| DECLINATION (J2000) | +17° 31′ 44.3″ |

## Catalogue data

### WHAT KIND OF THING IT IS

What the object is in itself, rather than how it happens to look from here.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Spectral type | F5 V |
| Luminosity (visual) | 1.52757 L☉ |

### WHERE IT IS AND HOW IT MOVES

Position, motion across the sky and the size it covers on it. These are measurements of the object as seen from here, so every one of them depends on where here is.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Proper motion (RA) | −425.99 mas/yr |
| Proper motion (Dec) | 145.02 mas/yr |
| Radial velocity | −27.7 km/s |

## Also known as

- Gliese: Gl 501B
- HD: HD 114379
- HR: HR 4969

## Source

[HYG Database v4.1](https://github.com/astronexus/HYG-Database) — CC-BY-SA-4.0

The producer asks: HYG Database v4.1, Astronexus (github.com/astronexus/HYG-Database). Fields derived from it stay under CC BY-SA 4.0.

How this was made: https://spacecatalog.org/methods#source-hyg

## Cite this page

SpaceCatalog. 42 α Com \[catalogue entry\]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/hd-114379

```bibtex
@misc{spacecatalog_hd-114379,
  author       = {{SpaceCatalog}},
  title        = {{42 α Com}},
  howpublished = {SpaceCatalog, data release DR1 (2026-08-21)},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://spacecatalog.org/object/hd-114379},
  note         = {Catalogue entry, data release DR1 (2026-08-21). Values from HYG Database v4.1.}
}
```

HYG Database v4.1 — CC-BY-SA-4.0

Acknowledgement the producer asks for: HYG Database v4.1, Astronexus (github.com/astronexus/HYG-Database). Fields derived from it stay under CC BY-SA 4.0.

The page itself, with its pictures, the sky map and the observing tools: https://spacecatalog.org/object/hd-114379