Star profile

Eta Reticulum

3D likeness based on its real data · class G · ~5,500 K

What is Eta Reticulum

η Reticuli shines in the Reticle, a small, little-known southern constellation drawn in the 18th century to honour the reticle —the fine cross of threads set in telescope eyepieces to measure positions—. A yellow G-type star some 385 light-years away, she offers an older, more luminous version of the Sun.

Where it is and when to see it

Eta 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 September, 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 61° up.

It can be seen from anywhere south of 27° N.

It ranks no. 9 in brightness among the 16 stars of Reticulum in our catalogue. To find it, start from Alpha Reticulum, the brightest: it lies about 1° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 380 years ago.

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Astronomical data for Eta Reticulum

Constellation: Reticulum
Apparent magnitude: 5.24
Distance: 384.7 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 65.472° · Dec -63.386°
Catalogue: HIP 20384 · HD 28093

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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