Star profile
3 Vulpecula
Variable starWhat is 3 Vulpecula
3 Vulpeculae is a variable blue star tucked into the Little Fox, a faint constellation drawn in the seventeenth century by Hevelius between the Swan and the Eagle. Its B spectral type and subtle variability place it within a family of massive young stars that oscillate through pulsations of their own inner layers. At 393 light-years, its light crossed space as Galileo was defending heliocentrism in Florence.
Where it is and when to see it
3 Vulpecula lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is July, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it culminates about 65° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 76° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 30° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere north of 64° S.
It ranks no. 18 in brightness among the 44 stars of Vulpecula in our catalogue. To find it, start from Anser, the brightest: it lies about 2° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 390 years ago.
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Astronomical data for 3 Vulpecula
- Constellation
- Vulpecula
- Apparent magnitude
- 5.22
- Distance
- 393.0 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 290.712° · Dec 26.262°
- Catalogue
- HIP 95260 · HD 182255
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Other stars in Vulpecula
Vulpecula has 44 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- AnserAlpha Vulpecula4.44
- 23 Vulpecula4.50
- 31 Vulpecula4.56
- 4 Vulpecula5.14
- 22 Vulpecula5.18
- 21 Vulpecula5.19
- 16 Vulpecula5.23
- 33 Vulpecula5.30