Yellow subdwarf · Triangulum Australe
κ Trianguli Australis
Also known as: κ TrA, HIP 77982
mag 5.11,200 light-years
About
κ Trianguli Australis is a yellow subdwarf of magnitude 5.1 in Triangulum Australe, about 1,200 light-years away.
How to find it
- κ Trianguli Australis is in the constellation Triangulum Australe.
- Best evenings: around early 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 11° 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 Trianguli Australis (κ TrA) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 77982 |
| Type | Yellow subdwarf |
| Spectral type | G6VII |
| Colour | Pale orangeB−V colour index 1.11 |
| Magnitude | 5.1The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 1,200 light-yearsThe light you see left it around AD 800. Distances this large are uncertain by 10% or more. |
| Proper motion | 0.011″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Triangulum Australe |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 15h 55m 29.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | −68° 36′ 11″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →