Red supergiant · Cepheus
μ Cephei
Also known as: μ Cep, HIP 107259
mag 4.2
About
μ Cephei is a red supergiant of magnitude 4.2 in Cepheus.
How to find it
- μ Cephei is in the constellation Cepheus.
- Best evenings: around early 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 north of 21° 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 | μ Cephei (μ Cep) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 107259 |
| Type | Red supergiant |
| Spectral type | M2Ia |
| Colour | Orange-redB−V colour index 2.24 |
| Magnitude | 4.2The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Proper motion | 0.006″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Cepheus |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 21h 43m 30.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | +58° 46′ 48″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →