Blue-white main-sequence star · Circinus
ζ Circini
Also known as: ζ Cir, HIP 72965
mag 6.11,300 light-years
About
ζ Circini is a blue-white main-sequence star of magnitude 6.1 in Circinus, about 1,300 light-years away.
How to find it
- ζ Circini is in the constellation Circinus.
- Best evenings: around mid-June 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 14° 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
- EyesAt the very limit of the naked eye; binoculars show it easily.
- 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 Circini (ζ Cir) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 72965 |
| Type | Blue-white main-sequence star |
| Spectral type | B3Vn |
| Colour | WhiteB−V colour index −0.06 |
| Magnitude | 6.1The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 1,300 light-yearsThe light you see left it around AD 800. Distances this large are uncertain by 10% or more. |
| Proper motion | 0.014″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Circinus |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 14h 54m 42.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | −65° 59′ 28″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →