White main-sequence star · Piscis Austrinus
Fomalhaut
Also known as: α Piscis Austrini (α PsA), HIP 113368
mag 1.225 light-years
About
Fomalhaut (α Piscis Austrini) is a white main-sequence star of magnitude 1.2 in Piscis Austrinus, about 25 light-years away.
How to find it
- Fomalhaut is in the constellation Piscis Austrinus.
- Best evenings: around late October it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from south of 50° N.
When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.
What you will see
- EyesA first-magnitude star, obvious even from a city.
- Binoculars (10×50)A sharp point; binoculars bring out its colour and the fainter stars around it.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)Still a point of light at any magnification — stars are too far away to show a disc. Low in the sky, bright stars twinkle and flash colours.
Stars look the same in any instrument: brighter and sharper, but never bigger.
Facts
| Proper name | Fomalhaut |
|---|---|
| Designation | α Piscis Austrini (α PsA) |
| Hipparcos number | HIP 113368 |
| Type | White main-sequence star |
| Spectral type | A3V |
| Colour | WhiteB−V colour index 0.14 |
| Magnitude | 1.2The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 25 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 2001. |
| Proper motion | 0.37″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Piscis Austrinus |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 22h 57m 39.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | −29° 37′ 20″ |
More in Piscis Austrinus
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →