Tau

Variable star

Its story

Tau Persei flickers at 254 light-years inside a constellation steeped in myth and tragedy. Its brightness varies subtly, hinting at a stellar system that hides more than it shows to the naked eye. The light arriving tonight in our autumn skies set out around the year 1772, when telescopes across Europe were only just beginning to unravel the close doubles hidden behind every faint twinkle.

Constellation: Perseus
Apparent magnitude: 3.93
Distance: 254.2 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 43.564° · Dec 52.762°
Catalogue: HIP 13531 · HD 17878

Take your star to the gift that suits you best.

Choose a tier

Symbolic commemorative gift — no ownership, no IAU recognition.