Red giant · Chamaeleon
γ Chamaeleontis
Also known as: γ Cha, HIP 51839
mag 4.1420 light-years
About
γ Chamaeleontis is a red giant of magnitude 4.1 in Chamaeleon, about 420 light-years away.
How to find it
- γ Chamaeleontis is in the constellation Chamaeleon.
- Best evenings: around mid-April 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 1° 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 | γ Chamaeleontis (γ Cha) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 51839 |
| Type | Red giant |
| Spectral type | M0III |
| Colour | Orange-redB−V colour index 1.58 |
| Magnitude | 4.1The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 420 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1610. |
| Proper motion | 0.040″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Chamaeleon |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 35m 28.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | −78° 36′ 28″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →