Yellow giant · Octans
λ Octantis
Also known as: λ Oct, HIP 107843
mag 5.3410 light-years
About
λ Octantis is a yellow giant of magnitude 5.3 in Octans, about 410 light-years away.
How to find it
- λ Octantis is in the constellation Octans.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from south of 3° S.
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 | λ Octantis (λ Oct) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 107843 |
| Type | Yellow giant |
| Spectral type | G8/K0III+ |
| Colour | YellowB−V colour index 0.76 |
| Magnitude | 5.3The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 410 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1620. |
| Proper motion | 0.076″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Octans |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 21h 50m 54.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | −82° 43′ 08″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →