Star profile
Zaurak
Gamma Eridani · Eridanus
Variable starWhat is Zaurak
Zaurak, a variable red giant 203 light-years from the Earth, occupies a quiet bend in the constellation Eridanus, away from the brighter stars of the celestial river. Its name comes from the Arabic «al-zauraq», the boat: medieval astronomers in the Maghreb and in Baghdad imagined a small skiff drifting slowly along the current of the river of stars, avoiding invisible sandbanks beneath the water. Its cool light pulses slowly, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, as if the boat were still rocking gently on the current, in no hurry to reach any particular port.
Where it is and when to see it
Zaurak 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 25° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 36° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 70° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 76° N.
It ranks no. 4 in brightness among the 129 stars of Eridanus in our catalogue. To find it, start from Achernar, the brightest: it lies about 51° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 200 years ago.
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Astronomical data for Zaurak
- Constellation
- Eridanus
- Apparent magnitude
- 2.97
- Distance
- 203.4 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 59.507° · Dec -13.509°
- Catalogue
- HIP 18543 · HD 25025
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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
- RanaDelta Eridani3.52
- Upsilon 4 Eridani3.55
- Phi Eridani3.56
- Chi Eridani3.69
- Tau 4 Eridani3.70