Star profile
Rho Octans
Southern polar starWhat is Rho Octans
Rho Octantis is a white A-type star about 216 light-years away, in the small constellation that embraces the south celestial pole. It inhabits a region of sky without a bright pole star: the south lacks the steady beacon the north enjoys thanks to Polaris. Stars like Rho Octantis, modest and close to the austral celestial pivot, are the ones generations of navigators used to orient themselves in the absence of a clear guide.
Where it is and when to see it
Rho Octans 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 39° up.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 6° N.
It ranks no. 19 in brightness among the 35 stars of Octans in our catalogue. To find it, start from Nu Octans, the brightest: it lies about 14° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 220 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 Rho Octans
- Constellation
- Octans
- Apparent magnitude
- 5.57
- Distance
- 215.7 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 235.817° · Dec -84.465°
- Catalogue
- HIP 76996 · HD 137333
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Other stars in Octans
Octans has 35 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- Nu Octans3.73
- Beta Octans4.13
- Delta Octans4.31
- Psi Octans5.49
- Tau Octans5.50
- Kappa Octans5.56
- Pi 1 Octans5.65
- Pi 2 Octans5.65