Rigil Kentaurus
Also known as α Cen · HR 5459
Rigil Kentaurus is a high proper motion star in the constellation Centaurus, about 4.4 light-years from Earth.
Facts
| Type | High proper motion star (spectral type G2V) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Position (J2000) | 14h 39m 36s, −60° 50′ |
| Distance | 4.4 light-years (its light set off about 4.4 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 0.01 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Studied in | 1,367 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Rigil Kentaurus is highest in the sky at midnight in April. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 9° above the horizon; from 50° N it never rises. To see it you need the naked eye, even from a town.
Heights are worked out for India and for 50° N. Set your location in Settings to see them for where you are.
For tonight's best time from your own town, the darkness and the Moon, open it on the map and see its "Tonight from your location" card.
More in Centaurus
- Betta Fish Nebula
- Boomerang Nebula
- Centaurus A (NGC 5128)
- Mermaid Nebula
- Omega Centauri
- Running Chicken Nebula
- SN 1006
- Thackeray's Globules
Everything in Centaurus · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · Data sources & credits