Star profile
Sualocin
Alpha Delphinus · Delphinus
Hot blue starWhat is Sualocin
Sualocin is the brightest star of Delphinus and hides one of the few jokes ever inscribed in the sky. In 1814, the Italian astronomer Niccolò Cacciatore Latinised his own name as «Nicolaus Venator» and reversed it letter by letter to christen this star, which has appeared in official catalogues ever since. It is a hot blue-white B-type star 254 light-years away, young and bright, whose humble origin as a signed wink contrasts with the majesty of its light.
Where it is and when to see it
Sualocin lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is August, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it culminates about 54° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 65° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 40° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere north of 74° S.
It ranks no. 2 in brightness among the 18 stars of Delphinus in our catalogue. To find it, start from Rotanev, the brightest: it lies about 1° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 250 years ago.
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Leave your signature on Sualocin
Your name and a message go up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.
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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 Sualocin
- Constellation
- Delphinus
- Apparent magnitude
- 3.77
- Distance
- 253.9 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 309.910° · Dec 15.912°
- Catalogue
- HIP 101958 · HD 196867
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Delphinus
Delphinus has 18 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- RotanevBeta Delphinus3.64
- AldulfinEpsilon Delphinus4.03
- Gamma 2 Delphinus4.27
- Delta Delphinus4.43
- Zeta Delphinus4.64
- Kappa Delphinus5.07
- Gamma 1 Delphinus5.15
- 17 Delphinus5.19