Star profile

Pi 2 Cancri

3D likeness based on its real data · class K · ~4,200 K

What is Pi 2 Cancri

Pi-2 Cancri is an orange giant in the Crab, the dimmest constellation of the zodiac, which also hides the famous Beehive Cluster. It belongs to the family of stars that have burned through their core hydrogen and slowly swollen up, offering the warm hue characteristic of K-type stars. At 607 light years, its light began the journey when Europe was passing through the early Renaissance.

Where it is and when to see it

Pi 2 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 February, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it culminates about 53° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 64° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 41° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 75° S.

It ranks no. 18 in brightness among the 49 stars of Cancer in our catalogue. To find it, start from Tarf, the brightest: it lies about 15° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 610 years ago.

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Astronomical data for Pi 2 Cancri

Constellation: Cancer
Apparent magnitude: 5.36
Distance: 607.4 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 138.808° · Dec 14.942°
Catalogue: HIP 45410 · HD 79554

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Other stars in Cancer

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

See all 49 stars in Cancer