Star profile
Helvetios
51 Pegasi · Pegasus
What is Helvetios
Helvetios, in Pegasus, is a Sun-like star, nearly a twin in G spectral class and only 51 light-years away. She was named in 2015 in tribute to the Helvetii, the Celtic peoples who inhabited present-day Switzerland, in recognition of the Geneva team that discovered around her the first extrasolar planet orbiting a solar-type star. A pinprick of light that changed humanity's idea of cosmic solitude.
Where it is and when to see it
Helvetios lies in the northern 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 59° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 70° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 35° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere north of 69° S.
It ranks no. 49 in brightness among the 98 stars of Pegasus in our catalogue. To find it, start from Enif, the brightest: it lies about 21° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 51 years ago.
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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 Helvetios
- Constellation
- Pegasus
- Apparent magnitude
- 5.45
- Distance
- 50.9 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 344.367° · Dec 20.769°
- Catalogue
- HIP 113357 · HD 217014
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.
- EnifEpsilon Pegasi2.38
- ScheatBeta Pegasi2.44
- MarkabAlpha Pegasi2.49
- 64 Pegasi5.35
- 30 Pegasi5.37
- 58 Pegasi5.39
- 5 Pegasi5.46
- 75 Pegasi5.49