Star profile

Delta 1 Chamaeleon

Southern polar star

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

What is Delta 1 Chamaeleon

Delta-1 Chamaeleontis lodges in the small southern Chameleon, a constellation traced by Dutch navigators between the south celestial pole and the deep Milky Way. At 348 light-years, it burns as an orange K-type giant, one of the crisper lights in a corner of the sky little visited by classical tales. Its warm hue contrasts with the deep night of the southernmost latitudes, where only the late explorers could give it a name.

Where it is and when to see it

Delta 1 Chamaeleon lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is May, 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 43° up.

It can be seen from anywhere south of 10° N.

It ranks no. 12 in brightness among the 19 stars of Chamaeleon in our catalogue. To find it, start from Alpha Chamaeleon, the brightest: it lies about 8° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 350 years ago.

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Astronomical data for Delta 1 Chamaeleon

Constellation: Chamaeleon
Apparent magnitude: 5.46
Distance: 348.5 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 161.318° · Dec -80.470°
Catalogue: HIP 52595 · HD 93779

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Other stars in Chamaeleon

Chamaeleon has 19 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 19 stars in Chamaeleon