Star profile
Polaris Australis
Sigma Octans · Octans
Variable starWhat is Polaris Australis
Polaris Australis is the southern hemisphere's pole star, the brightest star closest to the southern celestial pole, lying within the obscure minor constellation of Octans. Unlike its famous northern counterpart, it is unassuming and faint: a yellow variable of magnitude near the limit of the naked eye on a clear night. At 281 light-years, it served as a silent reference for southern navigators long before any precise telescope ever confirmed its exact position above the pole.
Where it is and when to see it
Polaris Australis 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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The signature wall
Stelvia's sky works like a signature wall: anyone can leave their name and a message on a real star, and that signature goes up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.
A signature without a lock can be replaced by someone else's. The lock makes the signature permanent and lets you choose a symbolic name for the star, always shown next to the star's catalogue identifier. How the lock works
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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 Polaris Australis
- Constellation
- Octans
- Apparent magnitude
- 5.45
- Distance
- 281.0 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 317.192° · Dec -88.956°
- Catalogue
- HIP 104382 · HD 177482
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Octans
Octans has 35 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- Nu Octans3.73
- Beta Octans4.13
- Delta Octans4.31
- Chi Octans5.29
- Xi Octans5.32
- Zeta Octans5.43
- Iota Octans5.45
- Phi Octans5.47