Star profile
Theta Musca
Variable starWhat is Theta Musca
θ Muscae is a strikingly distant variable star in the small southern Fly tucked beside the Southern Cross. Its light takes tens of thousands of years to reach us, which points to a body of colossal luminosity — a massive, hot system whose output shifts over time. When this light first set out, humanity was barely beginning to use articulate language as we know it.
Where it is and when to see it
Theta Musca 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 59° up.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 25° N.
It ranks no. 18 in brightness among the 31 stars of Musca in our catalogue. To find it, start from Alpha Musca, the brightest: it lies about 5° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 330,000 years ago.
It opens in your browser. Free, no account, nothing to install.
Leave your signature on Theta Musca
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 Theta Musca
- Constellation
- Musca
- Apparent magnitude
- 5.44
- Distance
- 326200.0 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 197.030° · Dec -65.306°
- Catalogue
- HIP 64094 · HD 113904
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Musca
Musca has 31 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- Alpha Musca2.69
- Beta Musca3.04
- Delta Musca3.61
- Zeta 2 Musca5.15
- HIP 591515.17
- HIP 588845.34
- HIP 556575.55
- HIP 626085.55