---
title: "V626 Ara"
url: "https://spacecatalog.org/object/hd-160342"
release: "DR1"
licence: "CC-BY-SA-4.0"
citation: "SpaceCatalog. V626 Ara [catalogue entry]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/hd-160342"
---

# V626 Ara

V626 Ara is an M3+II-III red [star](https://spacecatalog.org/stars) in the constellation [Ara](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/ara), 1204 ly from Earth, shining at apparent magnitude 6.28 (V). Other catalogues list it as HD 160342, HIP 86628 and HR 6576.

## At a glance

- **WHAT IT IS:** Red star
- **HOW FAR:** 1204 ly — The light arriving now left it that long ago.
- **HOW BRIGHT (V):** 6.28 — Bright enough for the naked eye, under a sky dark enough.
- **WHERE TO LOOK:** [Ara](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/ara) — The patch of sky it sits in, as seen from Earth.

## Properties

| Quantity | Value |
| --- | --- |
| CLASS | M3+II-III red star |
| DISTANCE FROM EARTH | 1204 ly — by parallax |
| APPARENT MAGNITUDE (V) | 6.28 |
| ABSOLUTE MAGNITUDE (V) | −1.55 |
| CONSTELLATION | Ara |
| RIGHT ASCENSION (J2000) | 17h 42m 03.6s |
| DECLINATION (J2000) | −50° 30′ 38.5″ |

## 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 | M3+II-III |
| Luminosity (visual) | 364.754 L☉ |
| Variability | Slow irregular giant (late spectral type) |
| Variability type (GCVS) | LB |

### 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) | 1.661 |
| Variable magnitude, brightest | 6.16 |
| Variable magnitude, faintest | 6.47 |

### 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) | 2.19 mas/yr |
| Proper motion (Dec) | −15.02 mas/yr |
| Radial velocity | −27 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 | V626 Ara |

### 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 (1989ApJS...71..245K, quality C) |

## Also known as

- HD: HD 160342
- HIP: HIP 86628
- HR: HR 6576
- Variable star: V626 Ara

## 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. V626 Ara \[catalogue entry\]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/hd-160342

```bibtex
@misc{spacecatalog_hd-160342,
  author       = {{SpaceCatalog}},
  title        = {{V626 Ara}},
  howpublished = {SpaceCatalog, data release DR1 (2026-08-21)},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://spacecatalog.org/object/hd-160342},
  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-160342