Star profile
Tau 5 Eridani
Hot blue starWhat is Tau 5 Eridani
Tau-5 Eridani is a binary system of two near-twin blue stars, both of class B8 V, burning at temperatures close to 12,000 K. Their combined light reaches Earth from some 293 light-years, crossing the long winding course of the celestial river Eridanus. Two hot sisters orbiting in silence, indistinguishable to the naked eye but revealed as a pair by careful spectroscopy.
Where it is and when to see it
Tau 5 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. 25 in brightness among the 129 stars of Eridanus in our catalogue. To find it, start from Achernar, the brightest: it lies about 41° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 290 years ago.
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Astronomical data for Tau 5 Eridani
- Constellation
- Eridanus
- Apparent magnitude
- 4.26
- Distance
- 293.3 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 53.447° · Dec -21.633°
- Catalogue
- HIP 16611 · HD 22203
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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
- Kappa Eridani4.24
- Lambda Eridani4.25
- 82 G. Eri4.26
- HIP 177974.30
- 54 Eridani4.32