▁in ▁the ▁northern ▁const ell ation ▁of ▁And rom eda , ▁very ▁slightly ▁dim mer ▁than ▁the ▁And rom eda ▁Gal axy ▁also ▁being ▁of ▁ 4 th ▁magnitude . ▁It ▁is ▁an ▁orange ▁K - type ▁giant ▁star ▁with ▁an ▁apparent ▁magnitude ▁of ▁+ 3 . 5 9 ▁and ▁is ▁about ▁ 1 6 9 ▁light - year s ▁from ▁the ▁Earth / sol ar ▁system . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁tradition ally ▁dep icted ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁northern , ▁far ▁upper ▁ends ▁of ▁the ▁myth ological , ▁ch ained - to - the - ro cks ▁prin cess , ▁the ▁other ▁being ▁binary ▁star ▁system ▁G amma ▁And rom ed ae . ▁ ▁At ▁an ▁estimated ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 . 7   b ill ion ▁years , ▁this ▁is ▁an ▁evol ved ▁red ▁giant ▁star ▁with ▁a ▁stell ar ▁classification ▁of ▁. ▁The ▁suffix ▁notation ▁indicates ▁a ▁m ild ▁enh ancement ▁of ▁cy an ogen ▁absor ption ▁lines ▁in ▁its ▁spectrum . ▁This ▁star ▁has ▁ 1 . 8 ▁times ▁the ▁mass ▁of ▁the ▁Sun ▁and ▁it ▁has ▁expanded ▁to ▁ 2 1 . 3 ▁times ▁the ▁Sun ' s ▁radius . ▁It ▁is ▁radi ating ▁ 1 4 2 ▁times ▁the ▁Sun ' s ▁lum inos ity ▁from ▁its ▁en larg ed ▁photos phere ▁at ▁an ▁effective ▁temperature ▁of ▁ 4 , 9 5 1   K . ▁ ▁N omen cl ature ▁▁▁ 5 1 ▁And rom ed ae ▁is ▁the ▁star ' s ▁Fl am ste