White subgiant · Centaurus
γ Centauri
Also known as: γ Cen, HIP 61932
mag 2.2130 light-years
About
γ Centauri is a white subgiant of magnitude 2.2 in Centaurus, about 130 light-years away.
How to find it
- γ Centauri is in the constellation Centaurus.
- Best evenings: around mid-May 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 31° 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
- EyesEasy, even from town.
- 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 Centauri (γ Cen) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 61932 |
| Type | White subgiant |
| Spectral type | A1IV |
| Colour | WhiteB−V colour index −0.02 |
| Magnitude | 2.2The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 130 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1900. |
| Proper motion | 0.19″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 41m 31.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | −48° 57′ 36″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →