Orange giant · Chamaeleon
κ Chamaeleontis
Also known as: κ Cha, HIP 58905
mag 5.0480 light-years
About
κ Chamaeleontis is an orange giant of magnitude 5.0 in Chamaeleon, about 480 light-years away.
How to find it
- κ Chamaeleontis is in the constellation Chamaeleon.
- Best evenings: around early May 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 3° 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 | κ Chamaeleontis (κ Cha) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 58905 |
| Type | Orange giant |
| Spectral type | K4III |
| Colour | OrangeB−V colour index 1.49 |
| Magnitude | 5.0The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 480 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1550. |
| Proper motion | 0.091″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Chamaeleon |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 04m 46.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | −76° 31′ 09″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →