Orange giant · Octans
δ Octantis
Also known as: δ Oct, HIP 70638
mag 4.3300 light-years
About
δ Octantis is an orange giant of magnitude 4.3 in Octans, about 300 light-years away.
How to find it
- δ Octantis is in the constellation Octans.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from south of 4° 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 | δ Octantis (δ Oct) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 70638 |
| Type | Orange giant |
| Spectral type | K2III |
| Colour | OrangeB−V colour index 1.30 |
| Magnitude | 4.3The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 300 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1730. |
| Proper motion | 0.097″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Octans |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 14h 26m 55.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | −83° 40′ 04″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →