Star profile
p Eridani
Nearby starWhat is p Eridani
p Eridani is a pair of orange dwarfs so closely matched in nature that for a long time they were considered near twins. They belong to the river of Eridanus and orbit only 26 light years from the Sun, making them one of the closest visible binaries. Their light takes barely a couple of decades to arrive, almost a real-time conversation with the stellar firmament.
Where it is and when to see it
p Eridani lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is September, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it never rises above the horizon.
- From New York it never rises above the horizon.
- From Sydney it never sets and culminates about 68° up.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 34° N.
It ranks no. 107 in brightness among the 129 stars of Eridanus in our catalogue. To find it, start from Achernar, the brightest: it lies about 1° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 27 years ago.
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Astronomical data for p Eridani
- Constellation
- Eridanus
- Apparent magnitude
- 5.80
- Distance
- 26.6 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 24.945° · Dec -56.195°
- Catalogue
- HYG 118084 · HD 10361
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Eridanus
Eridanus has 129 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- AchernarAlpha Eridani0.45
- CursaBeta Eridani2.78
- AcamarTheta 1 Eridani2.88
- p Eridani5.76
- HIP 223365.77
- 56 Eridani5.78
- HIP 195715.80
- HIP 239165.80