Star profile
HIP 72131
What is HIP 72131
In the tiny southern constellation Circinus —the Drafting Compass— glows a white A-type star, sharp and elegant, hotter than the Sun and the colour of fresh snow. Its light began the journey some 158 years ago, when the first transatlantic submarine cables were being laid and European scientific cabinets filled with microscopes and prisms. It reaches us now with the clean precision that defines its spectral class.
Where it is and when to see it
HIP 72131 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 61° up.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 27° N.
It ranks no. 9 in brightness among the 21 stars of Circinus in our catalogue. To find it, start from Alpha Circinus, the brightest: it lies about 2° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 160 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 72131
- Constellation
- Circinus
- Apparent magnitude
- 5.36
- Distance
- 158.0 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 221.322° · Dec -62.876°
- Catalogue
- HIP 72131 · HD 129422
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Circinus
Circinus has 21 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- Alpha Circinus3.18
- Beta Circinus4.07
- Gamma Circinus4.48
- Theta Circinus5.08
- Eta Circinus5.16
- HIP 730365.18
- HIP 749415.43
- HIP 704925.56