Star profile

Iota Reticulum

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

What is Iota Reticulum

Iota Reticuli is a solitary orange K4 III giant 319 light-years away, its envelope swollen to twenty-four solar radii. Its path through space tells a story: 883,000 years ago it came as close as 212 light-years to the Solar System, and is now receding at 61 km/s. An old traveller that was once nearer to us and is taking its slow leave through the small southern Reticle.

Where it is and when to see it

Iota Reticulum lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is October, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it never rises above the horizon.
From New York it never rises above the horizon.
From Sydney it never sets and culminates about 63° up.

It can be seen from anywhere south of 29° N.

It ranks no. 7 in brightness among the 16 stars of Reticulum in our catalogue. To find it, start from Alpha Reticulum, the brightest: it lies about 2° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 320 years ago.

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Astronomical data for Iota Reticulum

Constellation: Reticulum
Apparent magnitude: 4.97
Distance: 319.2 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 60.325° · Dec -61.079°
Catalogue: HIP 18772 · HD 25728

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Other stars in Reticulum

Reticulum has 16 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 16 stars in Reticulum