Star profile
61 Ceti
What is 61 Ceti
61 Ceti burns about 362 light-years away inside the Whale, a sky-spanning beast that leans across the celestial equator. A G-type star, similar in colour to the Sun but older and more luminous to reach us from such a distance. The light arriving tonight set out before Newton had published the Principia, in an age that lacked reflecting telescopes capable of tracking it.
Where it is and when to see it
61 Ceti lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is October, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it culminates about 38° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 49° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 56° above the horizon.
It sits almost on the celestial equator, so it can be seen from nearly the whole planet.
It ranks no. 105 in brightness among the 111 stars of Cetus in our catalogue. To find it, start from Diphda, the brightest: it lies about 26° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 360 years ago.
It opens in your browser. Free, no account, nothing to install.
Leave your signature on 61 Ceti
Your name and a message go up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.
Without a lock, someone else can replace your signature. How the lock works
We'll ask for an email to confirm it's you, no password.
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 61 Ceti
- Constellation
- Cetus
- Apparent magnitude
- 5.96
- Distance
- 362.0 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 30.951° · Dec -0.340°
- Catalogue
- HIP 9631 · HD 12641
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
- HIP 6365.93
- 63 Ceti5.94
- 14 Ceti5.94
- HIP 136795.97
- 33 Ceti5.97