Star profile

36 Cancri

3D likeness based on its real data · class A · ~8,500 K

What is 36 Cancri

36 Cancri is a white A-type star 488 light-years away, inside Cancer, the dimmest constellation of the zodiac. Hot and young, it shines in a pearly tone that contrasts with the general modesty of its constellation, where no spectacular stars stand out. Cancer is famous for harbouring the Beehive Cluster, one of the first wonders of the sky on which Galileo trained his telescope. Its light set out in the mid-sixteenth century.

Where it is and when to see it

36 Cancri lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is January, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it culminates about 48° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 59° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 46° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 80° S.

It ranks no. 42 in brightness among the 49 stars of Cancer in our catalogue. To find it, start from Tarf, the brightest: it lies about 5° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 490 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 36 Cancri

Constellation: Cancer
Apparent magnitude: 5.92
Distance: 488.3 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 129.274° · Dec 9.656°
Catalogue: HIP 42265 · HD 73143

A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.

Other stars in Cancer

Cancer has 49 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 49 stars in Cancer