White main-sequence star · Fornax
φ Fornacis
Also known as: φ For, HIP 11477
mag 5.1150 light-years
About
φ Fornacis is a white main-sequence star of magnitude 5.1 in Fornax, about 150 light-years away.
How to find it
- φ Fornacis is in the constellation Fornax.
- Best evenings: around mid-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 46° 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 | φ Fornacis (φ For) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 11477 |
| Type | White main-sequence star |
| Spectral type | A2/A3V |
| Colour | WhiteB−V colour index 0.09 |
| Magnitude | 5.1The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 150 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1870. |
| Proper motion | 0.019″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Fornax |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 02h 28m 01.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | −33° 48′ 40″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →