Blue-white main-sequence star · Carina
θ Carinae
Also known as: θ Car, HIP 52419
mag 2.7460 light-years
About
θ Carinae is a blue-white main-sequence star of magnitude 2.7 in Carina, about 460 light-years away.
How to find it
- θ Carinae is in the constellation Carina.
- Best evenings: around mid-April 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 16° N.
- Star patterns: Diamond Cross.
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 | θ Carinae (θ Car) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 52419 |
| Type | Blue-white main-sequence star |
| Spectral type | B0Vp |
| Colour | Blue-whiteB−V colour index −0.22 |
| Magnitude | 2.7The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 460 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1570. |
| Proper motion | 0.022″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Carina |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 42m 57.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | −64° 23′ 40″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →