Star profile

Iota Ceti

3D likeness based on its real data · class K · ~4,200 K

What is Iota Ceti

Iota Ceti, also called Deneb Kaitos Shemali —«the northern tail of the Whale»— is an orange K2 III giant about 275 light-years away. Its radius has swollen to thirty times the Sun's, and it pours out 380 solar luminosities at 4,645 K. A much fainter companion shares its proper motion across the sky: a quiet pair drifting through the heavens at the same pace.

Where it is and when to see it

Iota 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 September, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it culminates about 30° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 40° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 65° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere south of 81° N.

It ranks no. 6 in brightness among the 111 stars of Cetus in our catalogue. To find it, start from Diphda, the brightest: it lies about 11° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 270 years ago.

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Astronomical data for Iota Ceti

Constellation: Cetus
Apparent magnitude: 3.56
Distance: 274.6 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 4.857° · Dec -8.824°
Catalogue: HIP 1562 · HD 1522

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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