Star profile
Tau Ophiuchi
What is Tau Ophiuchi
Tau Ophiuchi is a white A-type star in the region of Ophiuchus, the serpent-bearer, a constellation the Sun crosses for a few days in November and December —ignored by traditional astrology but recognised by modern astronomy. Its light has been travelling for nearly 170 years before reaching us. It inhabits an area of sky deeply tied to the summer Milky Way, dense with globular clusters and dark nebulae.
Where it is and when to see it
Tau Ophiuchi lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is June: the Sun sits at the opposite point of the sky and the star culminates around midnight. How high it climbs above the horizon depends on the latitude you watch from.
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Astronomical data for Tau Ophiuchi
- Constellation
- Ophiuchus
- Apparent magnitude
- 5.24
- Distance
- 169.7 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 270.768° · Dec -8.182°
- Catalogue
- HYG 119195 · HD 164765
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Other stars in Ophiuchus
Ophiuchus has 88 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- RasalhagueAlpha Ophiuchi2.08
- SabikEta Ophiuchi2.43
- Zeta Ophiuchi2.54
- Guniibuu B5.07
- Omicron Ophiuchi5.14
- 23 Ophiuchi5.23
- HIP 806205.24
- 43 Ophiuchi5.30