Star profile

Copernicus

Rho 1 Cancri · Cancer

Nearby star

3D likeness based on its real data · class G · ~5,500 K

What is Copernicus

Copernicus is a yellow star in Cancer 40.3 light-years away, named in honour of the Polish astronomer who placed the Sun —not the Earth— at the centre of the universe. The naming is not ancient but modern: the International Astronomical Union set it in 2014, together with the name Galileo for one of its confirmed planets, in tribute to the pioneers of the scientific revolution.

Where it is and when to see it

Copernicus 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 67° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 78° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 28° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 62° S.

It ranks no. 48 in brightness among the 49 stars of Cancer in our catalogue. To find it, start from Tarf, the brightest: it lies about 21° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 40 years ago.

Find it on the sky map

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Leave your signature on Copernicus

Your name and a message go up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.

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Write my signature

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 Copernicus

Constellation: Cancer
Apparent magnitude: 5.96
Distance: 40.3 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 133.149° · Dec 28.331°
Catalogue: HIP 43587 · HD 75732

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