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Iota Ceti — Star in Cetus

Magnitude 3.5–3.6m Star Cetus (Cet) Visible
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1Physical Properties

Magnitude 3.56
Range 3.54 - 3.58
Variable Type Variable (Unclassified)
Spectral Type K1 II + (K) bright giant
Star Color Orange (B-V 1.22) (reddened by dust)
Distance 274 ly

2Position & Identifiers

RA 00h 19m 25.7s
Dec -08° 49' 26.0"
Constellation Cetus (Cet)
HR 74
HIP 1562
HD 1522
SAO 128694
Bayer Iota
Flamsteed 8 Cet
SIMBAD

3How easy to spot?

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Equipment Bortle 3 Bortle 4 Bortle 5
Naked eye Easy Easy Medium+
50mm finder Easy Easy Easy
150mm scope Easy Easy Easy
Easy Medium Hard Very hard Impossible

Bortle 3 = rural · 4 = outer suburbs · 5 = suburbs

4Visibility

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Best season Aug – Oct (peak: Sep)

5Survey Image

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7

Size Comparison

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8

Compare Stars

9

Spectral Classification

10

Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

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Read: The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram — Reading Stars Like a Map
11

Stellar Lifecycle

12

Blackbody Spectrum

13

Stellar Absorption Spectrum

Simulated absorption spectrum based on spectral type. Hover over lines to identify elements.

14

Stellar Fusion

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15Stellar Notes

3.46 - 3.56V.
Component B, 12.87v at 63", optical.
Deneb Kaitos Shemali; Deneb Kaitos Al Shamaliyy.
16

Light Travel Time Machine

17

Relativistic Travel

Nearby in the Sky

Other targets within a few degrees — pan your scope a little and keep exploring.

Visibility scores assume a 150 mm Newton at Bortle 4.

NGC 50
Medium
Elliptical galaxy
Galaxy mag 11.94 1.9° Cetus
30 Psc
Easy
Cool red giant
Star mag 4.41 5.2° Pisces
AP Psc
Hard+
Variable star, range 6.0–6.3
Variable Star mag 6.07 7.0° Pisces
NGC 246
Easy
Planetary nebula — try an OIII filter
Planetary Nebula mag 8.0 7.4° Cetus
Show on Map

Explore Nightbase

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Biography
Cetus
Mythology, bright stars, and deep-sky highlights.
Constellation
The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram — Reading Stars Like a Map
The HR diagram turns the night sky into a physics map: every named star has a spot, every spot tells you mass, age, and fate. A guide for amateur observers.
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