Star profile
Xi Orionis
Hot blue starWhat is Xi Orionis
ξ Orionis is a hot blue star located north of the famous hunter, beyond the Belt but within his shield —or, in some atlases, his raised club. Like most of Orion's great blues, it shares kinship with the giants that draw the figure: young, brilliant and fleeting. Its electric flame stands among the torches that arm the winter warrior.
Where it is and when to see it
Xi 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 42° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere north of 76° S.
It ranks no. 25 in brightness among the 128 stars of Orion in our catalogue. To find it, start from Rigel, the brightest: it lies about 27° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 610 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 Xi Orionis
- Constellation
- Orion
- Apparent magnitude
- 4.45
- Distance
- 607.4 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 92.985° · Dec 14.209°
- Catalogue
- HIP 29426 · HD 42560
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
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
- Phi 1 Orionis4.39
- Chi 1 Orionis4.39
- Nu Orionis4.42
- Rho Orionis4.46
- Pi 6 Orionis4.47