Star profile
Eta Apus
Southern polar starWhat is Eta Apus
Eta Apodis shines at one hundred and thirty-eight light-years in the Bird of Paradise, a southern constellation introduced by Dutch navigators when they mapped the skies of the south. It is a white A-type star set near the south celestial pole, where the gazes of the northern hemisphere barely reach. A light known only to those who have looked at the sky from distant latitudes, almost a southern secret.
Where it is and when to see it
Eta Apus lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is June, 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 9° N.
It ranks no. 6 in brightness among the 21 stars of Apus in our catalogue. To find it, start from Alpha Apus, the brightest: it lies about 2° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 140 years ago.
It opens in your browser. Free, no account, nothing to install.
Leave your signature on Eta Apus
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 Eta Apus
- Constellation
- Apus
- Apparent magnitude
- 4.89
- Distance
- 138.1 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 214.558° · Dec -81.008°
- Catalogue
- HIP 69896 · HD 123998
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Apus
Apus has 21 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- Alpha Apus3.83
- Gamma Apus3.86
- Beta Apus4.23
- Delta 1 Apus4.68
- Zeta Apus4.76
- Epsilon Apus5.06
- Delta 2 Apus5.27
- HIP 732235.37