Orange supergiant · Puppis
π Puppis
Also known as: π Pup, HIP 35264
mag 2.7810 light-years
About
π Puppis is an orange supergiant of magnitude 2.7 in Puppis, about 810 light-years away.
How to find it
- π Puppis is in the constellation Puppis.
- Best evenings: around late February 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 43° 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
| Designation | π Puppis (π Pup) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 35264 |
| Type | Orange supergiant |
| Spectral type | K3Ib |
| Colour | Orange-redB−V colour index 1.62 |
| Magnitude | 2.7The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 810 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1220. |
| Proper motion | 0.013″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Puppis |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 07h 17m 08.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | −37° 05′ 51″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →