Star profile
Kappa Phoenicis
What is Kappa Phoenicis
κ Phoenicis is a white A-type star in the mythical bird of the southern sky. It rests relatively close to the Sun —under a hundred light-years— making it a quiet, crisp neighbour of the solar district. The Phoenix was drawn in the 16th century by the Dutch navigators Keyser and de Houtman, who first charted the deep southern heavens.
Where it is and when to see it
Kappa Phoenicis 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 culminates about 6° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 80° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 46° N.
It ranks no. 5 in brightness among the 39 stars of Phoenix in our catalogue. To find it, start from Ankaa, the brightest: it lies about 1° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 78 years ago.
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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 Kappa Phoenicis
- Constellation
- Phoenix
- Apparent magnitude
- 3.93
- Distance
- 77.7 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 6.551° · Dec -43.680°
- Catalogue
- HIP 2072 · HD 2262
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Phoenix
Phoenix has 39 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- AnkaaAlpha Phoenicis2.40
- Beta Phoenicis3.32
- Gamma Phoenicis3.41
- Epsilon Phoenicis3.88
- Delta Phoenicis3.93
- WurrenZeta Phoenicis3.94
- Eta Phoenicis4.36
- Psi Phoenicis4.39