Orange giant · Corona Borealis
τ Coronae Borealis
Also known as: τ CrB, HIP 79119
mag 4.7120 light-years
About
τ Coronae Borealis is an orange giant of magnitude 4.7 in Corona Borealis, about 120 light-years away.
How to find it
- τ Coronae Borealis is in the constellation Corona Borealis.
- Best evenings: around early July 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 44° 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
| Designation | τ Coronae Borealis (τ CrB) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 79119 |
| Type | Orange giant |
| Spectral type | K0III-IV |
| Colour | Pale orangeB−V colour index 1.01 |
| Magnitude | 4.7The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 120 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1910. |
| Proper motion | 0.35″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Corona Borealis |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 16h 08m 58.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +36° 29′ 27″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →