Star profile
46 Eridani
Variable starWhat is 46 Eridani
46 Eridani throbs in the celestial river of Eridanus, that long stellar current descending from the feet of Orion toward the south. It is a massive blue-white B-type variable star some 828 light-years away —its brightness is not entirely constant and shifts with the slow breathing of massive stars—. Its light began its journey around the twelfth century, when Europe was raising its first Gothic cathedrals.
Where it is and when to see it
46 Eridani 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 32° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 43° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 63° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 83° N.
It ranks no. 92 in brightness among the 129 stars of Eridanus in our catalogue. To find it, start from Achernar, the brightest: it lies about 61° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 830 years ago.
It opens in your browser. Free, no account, nothing to install.
Leave your signature on 46 Eridani
Your name and a message go up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.
Without a lock, someone else can replace your signature. How the lock works
We'll ask for an email to confirm it's you, no password.
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 46 Eridani
- Constellation
- Eridanus
- Apparent magnitude
- 5.71
- Distance
- 827.9 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 68.478° · Dec -6.739°
- Catalogue
- HIP 21278 · HD 29009
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
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
- HIP 190115.62
- HIP 182625.70
- HIP 195115.70
- HIP 228605.71
- HIP 228815.71