Orange giant · Puppis
τ Puppis
Also known as: τ Pup, HIP 32768
mag 2.9180 light-years
About
τ Puppis is an orange giant of magnitude 2.9 in Puppis, about 180 light-years away.
How to find it
- τ Puppis is in the constellation Puppis.
- Best evenings: around mid-February 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 29° 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
- 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 | τ Puppis (τ Pup) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 32768 |
| Type | Orange giant |
| Spectral type | K0III |
| Colour | OrangeB−V colour index 1.21 |
| Magnitude | 2.9The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 180 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1840. |
| Proper motion | 0.074″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Puppis |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 06h 49m 56.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | −50° 36′ 53″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →