Blue-white giant · Fornax
δ Fornacis
Also known as: δ For, HIP 17304
mag 5.0850 light-years
About
δ Fornacis is a blue-white giant of magnitude 5.0 in Fornax, about 850 light-years away.
How to find it
- δ Fornacis is in the constellation Fornax.
- 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 48° 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 | δ Fornacis (δ For) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 17304 |
| Type | Blue-white giant |
| Spectral type | B5III |
| Colour | Blue-whiteB−V colour index −0.16 |
| Magnitude | 5.0The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 850 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1180. |
| Proper motion | 0.015″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Fornax |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 03h 42m 14.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | −31° 56′ 18″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →