White giant · Horologium
β Horologii
Also known as: β Hor, HIP 13884
mag 5.0300 light-years
About
β Horologii is a white giant of magnitude 5.0 in Horologium, about 300 light-years away.
How to find it
- β Horologii is in the constellation Horologium.
- 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 south of 16° 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 | β Horologii (β Hor) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 13884 |
| Type | White giant |
| Spectral type | A5III |
| Colour | WhiteB−V colour index 0.13 |
| Magnitude | 5.0The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 300 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1730. |
| Proper motion | 0.024″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Horologium |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 02h 58m 47.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | −64° 04′ 17″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →