Orange giant · Aquarius
τ² Aquarii
Also known as: τ² Aqr, HIP 112716
mag 4.1320 light-years
About
τ² Aquarii is an orange giant of magnitude 4.1 in Aquarius, about 320 light-years away.
How to find it
- τ² Aquarii is in the constellation Aquarius.
- Best evenings: around mid-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 south of 66° 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
- 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 | τ² Aquarii (τ² Aqr) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 112716 |
| Type | Orange giant |
| Spectral type | K5III |
| Colour | Orange-redB−V colour index 1.57 |
| Magnitude | 4.1The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 320 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1710. |
| Proper motion | 0.041″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Aquarius |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 22h 49m 35.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | −13° 35′ 33″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →