Star profile
Nu Orionis
Hot blue starWhat is Nu Orionis
ν Orionis shines blue-white at 516 light-years, set in the Hunter's raised shield. A B-class star, young and hot, it is one of many that populate the Orion region and trace its firm outlines in the winter sky. That whole stretch of the heavens is a recent stellar nursery, and ν Orionis belongs to that lineage of suns born almost in the same cosmic breath.
Where it is and when to see it
Nu Orionis lies in the northern 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 53° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 64° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 41° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere north of 75° S.
It ranks no. 24 in brightness among the 128 stars of Orion in our catalogue. To find it, start from Rigel, the brightest: it lies about 26° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 520 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 Nu Orionis
- Constellation
- Orion
- Apparent magnitude
- 4.42
- Distance
- 516.1 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 91.893° · Dec 14.768°
- Catalogue
- HIP 29038 · HD 41753
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Other stars in Orion
Orion has 128 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- RigelBeta Orionis0.18
- BetelgeuseAlpha Orionis0.45
- BellatrixGamma Orionis1.64
- Pi 2 Orionis4.35
- Phi 1 Orionis4.39
- Chi 1 Orionis4.39
- Xi Orionis4.45
- Rho Orionis4.46