Star profile
Kappa 2 Apus
Hot blue starWhat is Kappa 2 Apus
Kappa-2 Apodis is a hot blue star in the small constellation of the Bird of Paradise, one of the southern figures invented by Dutch cartographers returning from the East Indies. It shines at 780 light years away with the energy of a B-type star, far more massive and ephemeral than the Sun. Its light tore away from the star around the thirteenth century, during the age of the great Gothic cathedrals in Europe.
Where it is and when to see it
Kappa 2 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 50° up.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 17° N.
It ranks no. 14 in brightness among the 21 stars of Apus in our catalogue. To find it, start from Alpha Apus, the brightest: it lies about 6° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 780 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 Kappa 2 Apus
- Constellation
- Apus
- Apparent magnitude
- 5.64
- Distance
- 780.4 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 235.089° · Dec -73.447°
- Catalogue
- HIP 76750 · HD 138800
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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
- Kappa 1 Apus5.40
- HIP 811415.50
- HIP 728335.59
- Theta Apus5.69
- HIP 788685.70