Star profile
Tau 4 Eridani
Variable starWhat is Tau 4 Eridani
Tau-4 Eridani follows the long course of the celestial river, a stream that meanders from the foot of Orion down into the southern skies. A red type M giant some 305 light-years away, its coppery light pulses with discreet variations that hint at a swelling atmosphere. It is one of many links in the chain of tau stars that articulate the current of Eridanus, the river that ancient cultures identified with the Po, the Nile, or the Euphrates depending on who looked up.
Where it is and when to see it
Tau 4 Eridani lies in the southern 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 17° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 28° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 78° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 68° N.
It ranks no. 9 in brightness among the 129 stars of Eridanus in our catalogue. To find it, start from Achernar, the brightest: it lies about 40° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 300 years ago.
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Astronomical data for Tau 4 Eridani
- Constellation
- Eridanus
- Apparent magnitude
- 3.70
- Distance
- 304.6 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 49.879° · Dec -21.758°
- Catalogue
- HIP 15474 · HD 20720
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Other stars in Eridanus
Eridanus has 129 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- AchernarAlpha Eridani0.45
- CursaBeta Eridani2.78
- AcamarTheta 1 Eridani2.88
- Upsilon 4 Eridani3.55
- Phi Eridani3.56
- Chi Eridani3.69
- RanEpsilon Eridani3.72
- TheeminUpsilon 2 Eridani3.81