White giant · Cepheus
θ Cephei
Also known as: θ Cep, HIP 101093
mag 4.2140 light-years
About
θ Cephei is a white giant of magnitude 4.2 in Cepheus, about 140 light-years away.
How to find it
- θ Cephei is in the constellation Cepheus.
- Best evenings: around mid-September 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 17° 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 | θ Cephei (θ Cep) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 101093 |
| Type | White giant |
| Spectral type | A7III |
| Colour | Yellowish whiteB−V colour index 0.20 |
| Magnitude | 4.2The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 140 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1890. |
| Proper motion | 0.047″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Cepheus |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 20h 29m 34.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +62° 59′ 39″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →