Star profile
Alpha Volans
What is Alpha Volans
Alpha Volantis is the second light, not the first, of the southern Flying Fish, a constellation invented by 16th-century Dutch navigators crossing the southern hemisphere. She is a chemically peculiar Am star, her metal absorption lines unusually strong, betraying a quiet interior and a stratified atmosphere. She shines at 125 light-years, white and serene, contradicting the dramatic name of the fish that leapt above the waves.
Where it is and when to see it
Alpha Volans lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is April, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it never rises above the horizon.
- From New York it never rises above the horizon.
- From Sydney it never sets and culminates about 58° up.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 24° N.
It ranks no. 5 in brightness among the 19 stars of Volans in our catalogue. To find it, start from Beta Volans, the brightest: it lies about 4° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 120 years ago.
It opens in your browser. Free, no account, nothing to install.
Leave your signature on Alpha Volans
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 Alpha Volans
- Constellation
- Volans
- Apparent magnitude
- 4.00
- Distance
- 124.9 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 135.612° · Dec -66.396°
- Catalogue
- HIP 44382 · HD 78045
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Volans
Volans has 19 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- Beta Volans3.77
- Gamma 2 Volans3.78
- Zeta Volans3.93
- Delta Volans3.97
- Epsilon Volans4.35
- HIP 406805.06
- HIP 336825.18
- Theta Volans5.19