Orange supergiant · Cepheus
ζ Cephei
Also known as: ζ Cep, HIP 109492
mag 3.4840 light-years
About
ζ Cephei is an orange supergiant of magnitude 3.4 in Cepheus, about 840 light-years away.
How to find it
- ζ Cephei is in the constellation Cepheus.
- Best evenings: around early October 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 north of 22° 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
- EyesVisible from the suburbs on a clear night, but lost in bright city skies.
- 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 | ζ Cephei (ζ Cep) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 109492 |
| Type | Orange supergiant |
| Spectral type | K1Ibv SB |
| Colour | Orange-redB−V colour index 1.56 |
| Magnitude | 3.4The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 840 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1190. |
| Proper motion | 0.014″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Cepheus |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 22h 10m 51.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +58° 12′ 05″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →