Star profile
Beta Chamaeleon
Hot blue starWhat is Beta Chamaeleon
Beta Chamaeleontis burns nearly three hundred light-years away in one of the most southern constellations, the small chameleon invented by Dutch navigators between Centaurus and the south pole. It is a hot blue-white B-type star, young and energetic, one of the few bright lights that breaks the darkness of that region. Its blue signature is a reminder that even the most forgotten corners of the sky hold embers worthy of a mountain range.
Where it is and when to see it
Beta 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 45° up.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 11° N.
It ranks no. 3 in brightness among the 19 stars of Chamaeleon in our catalogue. To find it, start from Alpha Chamaeleon, the brightest: it lies about 12° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 300 years ago.
It opens in your browser. Free, no account, nothing to install.
Leave your signature on Beta Chamaeleon
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 Beta Chamaeleon
- Constellation
- Chamaeleon
- Apparent magnitude
- 4.24
- Distance
- 298.4 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 184.587° · Dec -79.312°
- Catalogue
- HIP 60000 · HD 106911
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Chamaeleon
Chamaeleon has 19 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- Alpha Chamaeleon4.05
- Gamma Chamaeleon4.11
- Theta Chamaeleon4.34
- Delta 2 Chamaeleon4.45
- Epsilon Chamaeleon4.88
- Kappa Chamaeleon5.04
- Zeta Chamaeleon5.07
- Iota Chamaeleon5.34