Star profile
HIP 61966
Variable starWhat is HIP 61966
It belongs to the Southern Cross, the absolute emblem of the austral heavens. A variable star, its blue glow ebbs and swells like a slow heartbeat while its light crosses nearly a thousand years to reach us. The journey began around the year 1070, as the Normans were consolidating England after the Battle of Hastings. Hot, massive and young, it shines many times brighter than the Sun —a B-type ember at the very heart of the cross.
Where it is and when to see it
HIP 61966 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 64° up.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 30° N.
It ranks no. 14 in brightness among the 32 stars of Crux in our catalogue. To find it, start from Acrux, the brightest: it lies about 4° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 960 years ago.
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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 HIP 61966
- Constellation
- Crux
- Apparent magnitude
- 4.91
- Distance
- 956.6 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 190.486° · Dec -59.686°
- Catalogue
- HIP 61966 · HD 110335
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Crux
Crux has 32 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- AcruxAlpha 1 Crucis0.77
- MimosaBeta Crucis1.25
- GacruxGamma Crucis1.59
- Lambda Crucis4.62
- Iota Crucis4.69
- Theta 2 Crucis4.72
- Mu 2 Crucis5.08
- HIP 620275.27