Star profile
Naos
Zeta Puppis · Puppis
Variable starWhat is Naos
Naos burns in Puppis, the stern of the ancient ship Argo that once sailed the southern skies. It is one of the few O-class stars visible to the naked eye: a blue supergiant whose surface, tens of thousands of degrees hot, drives a fierce stellar wind. Its faintly variable light travels 1083 light years to reach us; it set out when Europe had not yet seen the printing press.
Where it is and when to see it
Naos lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is February, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it never rises above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 9° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 84° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 50° N.
It is the brightest of the 145 stars of Puppis 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 1,100 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 Naos
- Constellation
- Puppis
- Apparent magnitude
- 2.21
- Distance
- 1083.7 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 120.896° · Dec -40.003°
- Catalogue
- HIP 39429 · HD 66811
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Puppis
Puppis has 145 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- Pi Puppis2.71
- TureisRho Puppis2.83
- Tau Puppis2.94
- Nu Puppis3.17
- Sigma Puppis3.25
- AzmidiXi Puppis3.34
- HIP 378193.62
- HIP 384143.71