White main-sequence star · Monoceros
δ Monocerotis
Also known as: δ Mon, HIP 34769
mag 4.2380 light-years
About
δ Monocerotis is a white main-sequence star of magnitude 4.2 in Monoceros, about 380 light-years away.
How to find it
- δ Monocerotis is in the constellation Monoceros.
- Best evenings: around late February 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 80° 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 | δ Monocerotis (δ Mon) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 34769 |
| Type | White main-sequence star |
| Spectral type | A2V |
| Colour | WhiteB−V colour index −0.01 |
| Magnitude | 4.2The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 380 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1640. |
| Proper motion | 0.007″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Monoceros |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 07h 11m 51.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | −00° 29′ 34″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →