Star profile
Peacock
Alpha Pavonis · Pavo
Hot blue starWhat is Peacock
Peacock is the brightest star of Pavo, one of the southern constellations named by Dutch navigators in the late sixteenth century when they first charted the southern sky. It is a hot, young blue star, energetic and roughly 179 light-years away. Its modern name is unusual: the British Royal Air Force coined it in the 1930s for its air-navigation tables.
Where it is and when to see it
Peacock lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is July, 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 67° up.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 33° N.
It is the brightest of the 44 stars of Pavo in our catalogue, which makes it the best starting point for finding your way around the constellation.
The light you see today left it about 180 years ago.
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A public signature from a real person. The chosen name is a symbolic denomination within Stelvia, with no official standing or IAU recognition: the sky is not for sale and belongs to no one.
Astronomical data for Peacock
- Constellation
- Pavo
- Apparent magnitude
- 1.94
- Distance
- 178.8 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 306.412° · Dec -56.735°
- Catalogue
- HIP 100751 · HD 193924
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Pavo
Pavo has 44 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- Beta Pavonis3.42
- Delta Pavonis3.55
- Eta Pavonis3.61
- Epsilon Pavonis3.97
- Zeta Pavonis4.01
- Gamma Pavonis4.21
- Lambda Pavonis4.22
- Pi Pavonis4.33