Star profile

Alterf

Lambda Leonis · Leo

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

What is Alterf

Alterf is an orange class-K giant burning 329 light-years away in Leo, marking on the old charts the gaze of the celestial lion. Its Arabic name, «al-tarf», means precisely «the glance» or «the edge of sight», and indicated the point where the feline fixed its eyes on prey. Cooler than the Sun yet far more voluminous, its coppery tint softens a sky otherwise dominated by Leo's triangular geometry and the piercing white of Regulus.

Where it is and when to see it

Alterf 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: the Sun sits at the opposite point of the sky and the star culminates around midnight. How high it climbs above the horizon depends on the latitude you watch from.

Find it on the sky map

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The signature wall

Stelvia's sky works like a signature wall: anyone can leave their name and a message on a real star, and that signature goes up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.

A signature without a lock can be replaced by someone else's. The lock makes the signature permanent and lets you choose a symbolic name for the star, always shown next to the star's catalogue identifier. How the lock works

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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 Alterf

Constellation: Leo
Apparent magnitude: 4.32
Distance: 329.2 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 142.930° · Dec 22.968°
Catalogue: HIP 46750 · HD 82308

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

Other stars in Leo

Leo has 80 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 80 stars in Leo