White subgiant · Monoceros
ε Monocerotis
Also known as: ε Mon, HIP 30419
mag 4.4120 light-years
About
ε Monocerotis is a white subgiant of magnitude 4.4 in Monoceros, about 120 light-years away.
How to find it
- ε Monocerotis is in the constellation Monoceros.
- Best evenings: around early February 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 75° 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 | ε Monocerotis (ε Mon) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 30419 |
| Type | White subgiant |
| Spectral type | A5IV |
| Colour | Yellowish whiteB−V colour index 0.21 |
| Magnitude | 4.4The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 120 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1900. |
| Proper motion | 0.024″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Monoceros |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 06h 23m 46.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +04° 35′ 34″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →