Star profile

Situla

Kappa Aquarii · Aquarius

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

What is Situla

Situla carries a Latin name meaning «the bucket», a reference to the vessel from which Aquarius pours his celestial stream. An orange K-class giant, cool and swollen, it lies about 214 light-years away. Its modest brightness to the naked eye is deceptive: this is a huge star that has entered the late stages of its evolution, spilling a warm light that was already on the move when Beethoven was composing his final sonatas.

Where it is and when to see it

Situla lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is September, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it culminates about 34° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 45° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 60° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere south of 86° N.

It ranks no. 34 in brightness among the 99 stars of Aquarius in our catalogue. To find it, start from Sadalsuud, the brightest: it lies about 17° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 210 years ago.

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Astronomical data for Situla

Constellation: Aquarius
Apparent magnitude: 5.04
Distance: 213.9 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 339.439° · Dec -4.228°
Catalogue: HIP 111710 · HD 214376

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Other stars in Aquarius

Aquarius has 99 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 99 stars in Aquarius