Star profile
73 Ophiuchi
Variable starWhat is 73 Ophiuchi
73 Ophiuchi is a yellow type-F variable about 179 light-years away, in the body of the Serpent Bearer. Hotter than the Sun and slightly unstable, its brightness shifts over time in gentle oscillations. The light now settling on human pupils travelled from the early nineteenth century, when the first railway lines in Europe were still being laid.
Where it is and when to see it
73 Ophiuchi lies in the northern 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 culminates about 42° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 53° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 52° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere north of 86° S.
It ranks no. 67 in brightness among the 88 stars of Ophiuchus in our catalogue. To find it, start from Rasalhague, the brightest: it lies about 12° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 180 years ago.
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Astronomical data for 73 Ophiuchi
- Constellation
- Ophiuchus
- Apparent magnitude
- 5.71
- Distance
- 178.7 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 272.391° · Dec 3.993°
- Catalogue
- HIP 88964 · HD 166233
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Other stars in Ophiuchus
Ophiuchus has 88 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- RasalhagueAlpha Ophiuchi2.08
- SabikEta Ophiuchi2.43
- Zeta Ophiuchi2.54
- HIP 903135.64
- HIP 807935.66
- HIP 890005.67
- 14 Ophiuchi5.74
- 26 Ophiuchi5.74