Star profile

Omicron Cepheus

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

What is Omicron Cepheus

Omicron Cephei is an orange K-type giant burning in Cepheus, the king consort of Cassiopeia, sketched in the north as a house with a pointed roof. Its light takes a little over 203 years to cross the space that separates us —enough that today's observation reaches us from the era when the United States Constitution was being drafted. A warm beacon among the circumpolar stars of the northern pole.

Where it is and when to see it

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

From London it never sets and culminates about 73° up.
From New York it never sets and culminates about 63° up.
From Sydney it never rises above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 22° S.

It ranks no. 19 in brightness among the 95 stars of Cepheus in our catalogue. To find it, start from Alderamin, the brightest: it lies about 14° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 200 years ago.

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Astronomical data for Omicron Cepheus

Constellation: Cepheus
Apparent magnitude: 4.75
Distance: 203.1 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 349.656° · Dec 68.111°
Catalogue: HIP 115088 · HD 219916

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Other stars in Cepheus

Cepheus has 95 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 95 stars in Cepheus