---
title: "V972 Cen"
url: "https://spacecatalog.org/object/hd-117688"
release: "DR1"
licence: "CC-BY-SA-4.0"
citation: "SpaceCatalog. V972 Cen [catalogue entry]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/hd-117688"
---

# V972 Cen

V972 Cen is a WN7 Wolf-Rayet [star](https://spacecatalog.org/stars) in the constellation [Centaurus](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/centaurus), 1989 ly from Earth, shining at apparent magnitude 10.47 (V). Other catalogues list it as HD 117688 and HIP 66142.

## At a glance

- **WHAT IT IS:** Wolf-Rayet star
- **HOW FAR:** 1989 ly — The light arriving now left it that long ago.
- **HOW BRIGHT (V):** 10.47 — A small telescope reaches it.
- **WHERE TO LOOK:** [Centaurus](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/centaurus) — The patch of sky it sits in, as seen from Earth.

## Properties

| Quantity | Value |
| --- | --- |
| CLASS | WN7 Wolf-Rayet star |
| DISTANCE FROM EARTH | 1989 ly — by parallax |
| APPARENT MAGNITUDE (V) | 10.47 |
| ABSOLUTE MAGNITUDE (V) | 1.54 |
| CONSTELLATION | Centaurus |
| RIGHT ASCENSION (J2000) | 13h 33m 30.1s |
| DECLINATION (J2000) | −62° 19′ 01.2″ |

## 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 | WN7 |
| Surface temperature | 6614 K |
| Luminosity | 21.0087 L☉ |
| Radius | 46.265 R☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 1.814 |
| Variability | Wolf-Rayet star with variable emission |
| Variability type (GCVS) | WR |

### HOW BRIGHT IT IS

What the light adds up to, measured through one filter at a time. A magnitude is a brightness on a backwards scale — the smaller the number, the brighter the object.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Colour index (B−V) | 0.376 |
| Variable magnitude, brightest | 10.34 |
| Variable magnitude, faintest | 10.56 |

### 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) | −6.32 mas/yr |
| Proper motion (Dec) | −0.15 mas/yr |
| Radial velocity | 0 km/s |

### OTHER NAMES AND NUMBERS

The identifiers other catalogues file this object under, for anyone joining this data to theirs.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Variable-star designation | V972 Cen |

### WHERE THESE FIGURES CAME FROM

Which catalogue, paper or model each of the fields above was read from, where the source named one.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Spectral type from | SIMBAD (2006A&A...457.1015H, quality C) |
| Stellar parameters from | Gaia DR3 model fit (GSP-Phot, FLAME; RUWE ≤ 1.4) |

## Also known as

- HD: HD 117688
- HIP: HIP 66142
- Variable star: V972 Cen

## 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. V972 Cen \[catalogue entry\]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/hd-117688

```bibtex
@misc{spacecatalog_hd-117688,
  author       = {{SpaceCatalog}},
  title        = {{V972 Cen}},
  howpublished = {SpaceCatalog, data release DR1 (2026-08-21)},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://spacecatalog.org/object/hd-117688},
  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-117688