Blue-white giant · Corvus
Gienah
Also known as: γ Corvi (γ Crv), HIP 59803
mag 2.6150 light-years
About
Gienah (γ Corvi) is a blue-white giant of magnitude 2.6 in Corvus, about 150 light-years away.
How to find it
- Gienah is in the constellation Corvus.
- Best evenings: around mid-May 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 62° 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
- EyesEasy, even from town.
- 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 | Gienah |
|---|---|
| Designation | γ Corvi (γ Crv) |
| Hipparcos number | HIP 59803 |
| Type | Blue-white giant |
| Spectral type | B8III |
| Colour | Blue-whiteB−V colour index −0.11 |
| Magnitude | 2.6The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 150 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1870. |
| Proper motion | 0.16″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Corvus |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 15m 48.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | −17° 32′ 31″ |
More in Corvus
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →