Yellow giant · Taurus

Secunda Hyadum

Also known as: δ¹ Tauri (δ¹ Tau), HIP 20455

mag 3.8160 light-years

About

Secunda Hyadum (δ¹ Tauri) is a yellow giant of magnitude 3.8 in Taurus, about 160 light-years away.

Read more on Wikipedia →

How to find it

  • Secunda Hyadum is in the constellation Taurus.
  • Best evenings: around mid-January 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 north of 62° S.

Show on sky map →

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

  • EyesVisible from the suburbs on a clear night, but lost in bright city skies.
  • 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 nameSecunda Hyadum
Designationδ¹ Tauri (δ¹ Tau)
Hipparcos numberHIP 20455
TypeYellow giant
Spectral typeG8III
ColourPale orangeB−V colour index 0.98
Magnitude3.8The smaller the number, the brighter.
Distance160 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1870.
Proper motion0.11″ per year across the sky
ConstellationTaurus
Right ascension (J2000)04h 22m 56.1s
Declination (J2000)+17° 32′ 33″

More in Taurus

Sources and credits

Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →