Yellow-white supergiant · Norma
γ¹ Normae
Also known as: γ¹ Nor, HIP 79790
mag 5.01,500 light-years
About
γ¹ Normae is a yellow-white supergiant of magnitude 5.0 in Norma, about 1,500 light-years away.
How to find it
- γ¹ Normae is in the constellation Norma.
- Best evenings: around mid-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 south of 30° 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
- 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 | γ¹ Normae (γ¹ Nor) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 79790 |
| Type | Yellow-white supergiant |
| Spectral type | F9Ia |
| Colour | YellowB−V colour index 0.79 |
| Magnitude | 5.0The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 1,500 light-yearsThe light you see left it around AD 600. Distances this large are uncertain by 10% or more. |
| Proper motion | 0.005″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Norma |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 16h 17m 00.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | −50° 04′ 05″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →