Blue-white giant · Taurus

Tianguan

Also known as: ζ Tauri (ζ Tau), HIP 26451

mag 3.0450 light-years

About

Tianguan (ζ Tauri) is a blue-white giant of magnitude 3.0 in Taurus, about 450 light-years away.

Tianguan is in the constellation Taurus.
Best evenings: around late 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 59° 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.

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.

Proper name	Tianguan
Designation	ζ Tauri (ζ Tau)
Hipparcos number	HIP 26451
Type	Blue-white giant
Spectral type	B4IIIp
Colour	Blue-whiteB−V colour index −0.15
Magnitude	3.0The smaller the number, the brighter.
Distance	450 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1580.
Proper motion	0.018″ per year across the sky
Constellation	Taurus
Right ascension (J2000)	05h 37m 38.7s
Declination (J2000)	+21° 08′ 33″