Star profile

Ankaa

Alpha Phoenicis · Phoenix

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

What is Ankaa

Ankaa is the Alpha of Phoenix, a southern constellation charted by Dutch navigators at the end of the sixteenth century, named after the bird that rises from its own ashes. The name itself derives from the Arabic «al-ʿanqāʾ», a mythical creature kin to the phoenix. An orange K-class giant some 85 light-years away, it is a cool, mature flame — burning with the steady patience of a star that has long since left its youth behind.

Where it is and when to see it

Ankaa 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 7° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 82° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere south of 48° N.

It is the brightest of the 39 stars of Phoenix in our catalogue, which makes it the best starting point for finding your way around the constellation.

The light you see today left it about 85 years ago.

Find it on the sky map

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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 Ankaa

Constellation: Phoenix
Apparent magnitude: 2.40
Distance: 84.7 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 6.571° · Dec -42.306°
Catalogue: HIP 2081 · HD 2261

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Other stars in Phoenix

Phoenix has 39 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 39 stars in Phoenix