Star profile
Beta Monocerotis
Variable starWhat is Beta Monocerotis
Beta Monocerotis is one of the sky’s most celebrated jewels: even a modest telescope splits it into a row of hot blue B-type suns, described by William Herschel in 1781 as «one of the most beautiful sights in the heavens». Some 677 light-years away, its combined light pulses with faint variations, a reminder that the single point our eye gathers is in truth a gravitational trio whose inner balance reaches our retina as a subtle, luminous trembling.
Where it is and when to see it
Beta Monocerotis 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 31° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 42° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 63° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 83° N.
It is the brightest of the 71 stars of Monoceros 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 680 years ago.
It opens in your browser. Free, no account, nothing to install.
Leave your signature on Beta Monocerotis
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 Beta Monocerotis
- Constellation
- Monoceros
- Apparent magnitude
- 3.76
- Distance
- 676.8 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 97.204° · Dec -7.033°
- Catalogue
- HIP 30867 · HD 45725
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Monoceros
Monoceros has 71 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- Alpha Monocerotis3.94
- Gamma Monocerotis3.99
- Delta Monocerotis4.15
- Zeta Monocerotis4.36
- Epsilon Monocerotis4.39
- 13 Monocerotis4.47
- 18 Monocerotis4.48
- 15 Monocerotis4.66