Star profile
Phact
Alpha Columbae · Columba
Hot blue starWhat is Phact
Phact is the main light of Columba, the Dove —a modern constellation created in the 16th century to evoke the bird Noah released after the flood. A hot blue star 261 light-years away, its name comes from the Arabic «al-fākhita», the wood pigeon. It flies low over the southern European horizon, almost always veiled by city glow, shining above a winter sky without trying.
Where it is and when to see it
Phact lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is December, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it culminates about 4° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 15° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 90° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 56° N.
It is the brightest of the 45 stars of Columba 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 260 years ago.
It opens in your browser. Free, no account, nothing to install.
Leave your signature on Phact
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 Phact
- Constellation
- Columba
- Apparent magnitude
- 2.65
- Distance
- 261.4 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 84.912° · Dec -34.074°
- Catalogue
- HIP 26634 · HD 37795
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Columba
Columba has 45 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- WaznBeta Columbae3.12
- Delta Columbae3.85
- Epsilon Columbae3.86
- Eta Columbae3.96
- Gamma Columbae4.36
- Kappa Columbae4.37
- Omicron Columbae4.81
- Lambda Columbae4.88