Star profile

Enif

Epsilon Pegasi · Pegasus

Variable star

3D likeness based on its real data · class K · ~4,200 K

What is Enif

Enif marks the muzzle of Pegasus — the winged horse of Greek myth — some 690 light-years away from the Earth. It is an orange variable supergiant whose brightness rises and falls over the course of months without warning, one of those stars that astronomers patiently watch in the hope of catching a fresh change. The light now reaching European autumn skies left the star when the first Christian kingdoms of Iberia were beginning the slow Reconquista in the north, still with no idea how long it would take them to bring it to a close.

Where it is and when to see it

Enif 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 48° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 59° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 46° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 80° S.

It is the brightest of the 98 stars of Pegasus 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 690 years ago.

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Astronomical data for Enif

Constellation: Pegasus
Apparent magnitude: 2.38
Distance: 689.6 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 326.046° · Dec 9.875°
Catalogue: HIP 107315 · HD 206778

A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.

Other stars in Pegasus

Pegasus has 98 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 98 stars in Pegasus