Star profile

Kaffaljidhma

Gamma Ceti · Cetus

3D likeness based on its real data · class A · ~8,500 K

What is Kaffaljidhma

Kaffaljidhma lies in Cetus 79.6 light-years away, a white class-A star, discreet at first glance but full of nuance under the telescope. Its name, distorted from the Arabic «kaff al-jidhma», means «the severed palm», and belongs to a medieval asterism that traced an open hand among the stars. Cetus, the sea monster of the Andromeda myth, occupies a long and dim strip of the autumn sky: Kaffaljidhma stands out there as a firm point amid the half-light.

Where it is and when to see it

Kaffaljidhma 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 culminates about 42° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 53° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 53° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 87° S.

It ranks no. 4 in brightness among the 111 stars of Cetus in our catalogue. To find it, start from Diphda, the brightest: it lies about 36° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 80 years ago.

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Astronomical data for Kaffaljidhma

Constellation: Cetus
Apparent magnitude: 3.47
Distance: 79.6 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 40.825° · Dec 3.236°
Catalogue: HIP 12706 · HD 16970

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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