Star profile
Chi Aquarii
Variable starWhat is Chi Aquarii
Chi Aquarii is an aged red giant whose variability was announced by Stebbins and Huffer in 1928. It pulses in three overlapping periods — 32, 38 and 45 days — like a stringed instrument tuned to different scales at once. At 613 light-years in the Water Bearer, it has swollen to 142 times the Sun's radius and now shines two thousand five hundred times brighter than the Sun, before continuing its slow decline toward the end.
Where it is and when to see it
Chi Aquarii 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 31° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 42° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 64° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 82° N.
It ranks no. 31 in brightness among the 99 stars of Aquarius in our catalogue. To find it, start from Sadalsuud, the brightest: it lies about 26° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 610 years ago.
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Astronomical data for Chi Aquarii
- Constellation
- Aquarius
- Apparent magnitude
- 4.93
- Distance
- 613.2 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 349.212° · Dec -7.727°
- Catalogue
- HIP 114939 · HD 219576
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Other stars in Aquarius
Aquarius has 99 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- SadalsuudBeta Aquarii2.90
- SadalmelikAlpha Aquarii2.95
- SkatDelta Aquarii3.27
- Pi Aquarii4.80
- Sigma Aquarii4.82
- 104 Aquarii4.82
- Omega 1 Aquarii4.97
- Psi 3 Aquarii4.99