Red supergiant · Taurus
119 Tauri
Also known as: 119 Tau, HIP 25945
mag 4.31,800 light-years
About
119 Tauri is a red supergiant of magnitude 4.3 in Taurus, about 1,800 light-years away.
How to find it
- 119 Tauri is in the constellation Taurus.
- Best evenings: around late January 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 61° 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 | 119 Tauri (119 Tau) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 25945 |
| Type | Red supergiant |
| Spectral type | M2Ib |
| Colour | Orange-redB−V colour index 2.06 |
| Magnitude | 4.3The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 1,800 light-yearsThe light you see left it around AD 200. Distances this large are uncertain by 10% or more. |
| Proper motion | 0.005″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Taurus |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 05h 32m 12.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | +18° 35′ 39″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →