Yellow-white giant · Octans
Polaris Australis
Also known as: σ Octantis (σ Oct), HIP 104382
mag 5.5280 light-years
About
Polaris Australis (σ Octantis) is a yellow-white giant of magnitude 5.5 in Octans, about 280 light-years away.
How to find it
- Polaris Australis is in the constellation Octans.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from south of 9° S.
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
- EyesNeeds a dark sky away from city lights.
- 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 | Polaris Australis |
|---|---|
| Designation | σ Octantis (σ Oct) |
| Hipparcos number | HIP 104382 |
| Type | Yellow-white giant |
| Spectral type | F0III |
| Colour | Yellowish whiteB−V colour index 0.28 |
| Magnitude | 5.5The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 280 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1750. |
| Proper motion | 0.026″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Octans |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 21h 08m 46.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | −88° 57′ 23″ |
More in Octans
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →