Star profile

Tau 6 Eridani

3D likeness based on its real data · class F · ~6,500 K

What is Tau 6 Eridani

Tau-6 Eridani is a yellow-white F3 giant, 40% more massive than the Sun and five times more luminous, 57 light-years away. It belongs to the meandering river of Eridanus descending from Orion southward, one of the longest constellations in the sky. Its atmosphere, with no detectable surface magnetism, burns steadily at about 6,650 kelvin.

Where it is and when to see it

Tau 6 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 15° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 26° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 79° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere south of 67° N.

It ranks no. 21 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 58 years ago.

Find it on the sky map

It opens in your browser. Free, no account, nothing to install.

Leave your signature on Tau 6 Eridani

Your name and a message go up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.

Without a lock, someone else can replace your signature. How the lock works

We'll ask for an email to confirm it's you, no password.

Write my signature

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 Tau 6 Eridani

Constellation: Eridanus
Apparent magnitude: 4.22
Distance: 57.5 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 56.712° · Dec -23.250°
Catalogue: HIP 17651 · HD 23754

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.

See all 129 stars in Eridanus