Star profile
Ran
Epsilon Eridani · Eridanus
Variable starWhat is Ran
Ran is one of the truly nearby stars to the solar system: an orange class-K that pulses with subtle variations just 10.5 light-years away, in the constellation Eridanus. It is so close that the light seen tonight set out little more than a decade ago, a minute distance on the cosmic scale. It takes its name from the Norse goddess of the sea, wife of Aegir, associated with the nets that dragged sailors to the depths: a cold name for a star that may yet harbour worlds of its own.
Where it is and when to see it
Ran 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: the Sun sits at the opposite point of the sky and the star culminates around midnight. How high it climbs above the horizon depends on the latitude you watch from.
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The signature wall
Stelvia's sky works like a signature wall: anyone can leave their name and a message on a real star, and that signature goes up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.
A signature without a lock can be replaced by someone else's. The lock makes the signature permanent and lets you choose a symbolic name for the star, always shown next to the star's catalogue identifier. How the lock works
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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 Ran
- Constellation
- Eridanus
- Apparent magnitude
- 3.72
- Distance
- 10.5 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 53.233° · Dec -9.458°
- Catalogue
- HIP 16537 · HD 22049
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
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
- Phi Eridani3.56
- Chi Eridani3.69
- Tau 4 Eridani3.70
- TheeminUpsilon 2 Eridani3.81
- Sceptrum3.86