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Mu Columbae — Star in Columba

Magnitude 5.2m Star Columba (Col) Visible
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1Physical Properties

Magnitude 5.17
Spectral Type O9.5V
Star Color Blue (B-V -0.28)

2Position & Identifiers

RA 05h 45m 59.9s
Dec -32° 18' 23.0"
Constellation Columba (Col)
HR 1996
HIP 27204
HD 38666
SAO 196149
Bayer Mu
SIMBAD

3How easy to spot?

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Equipment Bortle 3 Bortle 4 Bortle 5
Naked eye Medium Hard+ Hard
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 Nov – Jan (peak: Dec)

5Survey Image

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6

Size Comparison

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7

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8

Spectral Classification

9

Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

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Read: The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram — Reading Stars Like a Map
10

Stellar Lifecycle

11

Blackbody Spectrum

12

Stellar Absorption Spectrum

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

13

Stellar Fusion

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14Stellar Notes

Speculation that star may have been a SN 2.5 million yrs. ago.
Color excess E(B-V) = +0.02.
Runaway star from Ori OB1. See HR 938.

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 2090
Medium
Bright spiral galaxy
Galaxy mag 12.0 2.0° Columba
HIP 30840
Hard+
Tight double — a rewarding split at 1.2″
Double Star mag 5.74 9.0° Canis Major
M79
NGC 1904
Easy
Globular cluster — dense ball of ancient stars
Globular Cluster mag 7.7 9.1° Lepus
S Lep
Easy
Semi-regular variable, range 6.0–7.6
Variable Star mag 6.95 9.2° Lepus
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