Star profile

Sigma Ceti

3D likeness based on its real data · class F · ~6,500 K

What is Sigma Ceti

σ Ceti is a yellowish-white F-type star about 87 light-years away, on the long body of the sea monster that Perseus faced to save Andromeda. Its gentle light —slightly hotter than the Sun— makes it one of many quiet stars in the nearby solar catalogue. It crosses a region of sky where the firmament turns dark and silent, far from the Milky Way.

Where it is and when to see it

Sigma Ceti lies in the southern 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 23° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 34° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 71° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere south of 75° N.

It ranks no. 19 in brightness among the 111 stars of Cetus in our catalogue. To find it, start from Diphda, the brightest: it lies about 26° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 87 years ago.

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Astronomical data for Sigma Ceti

Constellation: Cetus
Apparent magnitude: 4.74
Distance: 87.1 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 38.022° · Dec -15.245°
Catalogue: HIP 11783 · HD 15798

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Other stars in Cetus

Cetus has 111 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 111 stars in Cetus