Star profile
HIP 873
What is HIP 873
In the body of the celestial whale, Cetus, radiates an orange giant about 245 light-years away. Its light set off around 1781, when William Herschel discovered Uranus from his Bath garden and the Sun's family grew by a whole new planet. Cooler and more voluminous than our star, its amber glow recalls hot metals in a silent forge.
Where it is and when to see it
HIP 873 lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is September, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it culminates about 26° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 37° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 69° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 77° N.
It ranks no. 90 in brightness among the 111 stars of Cetus in our catalogue. To find it, start from Diphda, the brightest: it lies about 10° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 240 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 873
- Constellation
- Cetus
- Apparent magnitude
- 5.84
- Distance
- 244.7 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 2.678° · Dec -12.580°
- Catalogue
- HIP 873 · HD 645
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Cetus
Cetus has 111 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- DiphdaBeta Ceti2.04
- MenkarAlpha Ceti2.54
- Eta Ceti3.46
- 268 G. Cet5.79
- HIP 124445.79
- HIP 121485.81
- HIP 103265.86
- 42 Ceti5.87