Star profile
Alnair
Alpha Grus · Grus
Hot blue starWhat is Alnair
Alnair, «the bright one» in Arabic, quietly presides over the southern constellation of Grus, the Crane. It is a blue sun 101 light-years away, young and vigorous, many times hotter than our own. When this light set out, the first recorded jazz note had not yet been played in America; now it reaches eyes that have already seen Saturn's rings from within.
Where it is and when to see it
Alnair lies in the southern 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 never rises above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 2° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 77° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 43° N.
It is the brightest of the 39 stars of Grus 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 100 years ago.
It opens in your browser. Free, no account, nothing to install.
Leave your signature on Alnair
Your name and a message go up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.
Without a lock, someone else can replace your signature. How the lock works
We'll ask for an email to confirm it's you, no password.
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 Alnair
- Constellation
- Grus
- Apparent magnitude
- 1.73
- Distance
- 101.0 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 332.058° · Dec -46.961°
- Catalogue
- HIP 109268 · HD 209952
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Grus
Grus has 39 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- TiakiBeta Grus2.07
- AldhanabGamma Grus3.00
- Epsilon Grus3.49
- Iota Grus3.88
- Delta 1 Grus3.97
- Zeta Grus4.11
- Delta 2 Grus4.12
- Theta Grus4.28