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Star profile

Xi Arietis

Hot blue star
3D likeness based on its real data · class B · ~15,000 K

What is Xi Arietis

Xi Aries shines at more than eight hundred light-years in the Ram, the first constellation of the zodiac —the one where the spring equinox rested for centuries before drifting through the precession of the equinoxes. It is a blue B-type star, young and hot, one of the many modest pieces drawing the body of the mythical animal that once opened the path of the ancient astronomical year.

Where it is and when to see it

Xi Arietis lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is October, when it culminates around midnight.

  • From London it culminates about 49° above the horizon.
  • From New York it culminates about 60° above the horizon.
  • From Sydney it culminates about 45° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 79° S.

It ranks no. 23 in brightness among the 57 stars of Aries in our catalogue. To find it, start from Hamal, the brightest: it lies about 14° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 870 years ago.

Find it on the sky map

It opens in your browser. Free, no account, nothing to install.

Leave your signature on Xi Arietis

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 Xi Arietis

Constellation
Aries
Apparent magnitude
5.48
Distance
872.2 light years
Coordinates (J2000)
RA 36.204° · Dec 10.611°
Catalogue
HIP 11249 · HD 14951

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

Other stars in Aries

Aries has 57 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 57 stars in Aries