White main-sequence star · Aries
ζ Arietis
Also known as: ζ Ari, HIP 15110
mag 4.9260 light-years
About
ζ Arietis is a white main-sequence star of magnitude 4.9 in Aries, about 260 light-years away.
How to find it
- ζ Arietis is in the constellation Aries.
- Best evenings: around late December 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.
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 | ζ Arietis (ζ Ari) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 15110 |
| Type | White main-sequence star |
| Spectral type | A1V |
| Colour | WhiteB−V colour index −0.01 |
| Magnitude | 4.9The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 260 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1760. |
| Proper motion | 0.083″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Aries |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 03h 14m 54.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +21° 02′ 40″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →