Star profile
Iota Horologium
What is Iota Horologium
Iota Horologii is a yellow G-type star much like the Sun, lying only 56 light-years away in the small southern constellation of the Clock. Its astronomical importance is real: it hosts at least one confirmed gas-giant planet, discovered in 1999 by radial velocities, in an orbit of just over 300 days. It also belongs to the Hyades stellar stream, a kinematic current linked to the open cluster that adorns Taurus.
Where it is and when to see it
Iota Horologium 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 never rises above the horizon.
- From New York it never rises above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 73° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 39° N.
It ranks no. 10 in brightness among the 18 stars of Horologium in our catalogue. To find it, start from Alpha Horologium, the brightest: it lies about 18° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 56 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 Iota Horologium
- Constellation
- Horologium
- Apparent magnitude
- 5.40
- Distance
- 56.0 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 40.639° · Dec -50.800°
- Catalogue
- HIP 12653 · HD 17051
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Horologium
Horologium has 18 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- Alpha Horologium3.85
- Delta Horologium4.93
- Beta Horologium4.98
- Eta Horologium5.30
- HIP 201615.33
- Lambda Horologium5.36
- HIP 165095.67
- HIP 149305.71