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Nu Centauri — Star in Centaurus

Magnitude 3.4m Star Centaurus (Cen) Visible
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1Physical Properties

Magnitude 3.41
Range 3.40 - 3.42
Period 2.6 days
Variable Type R
Spectral Type B2 IV subgiant
Star Color Blue (B-V -0.22)
Distance 436 ly

2Position & Identifiers

RA 13h 49m 30.3s
Dec -41° 41' 16.0"
Constellation Centaurus (Cen)
HR 5190
HIP 67464
HD 120307
SAO 224469
Bayer Nu
Variable ID Nu Cen
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 Mar – May (peak: Apr)

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

Beta C?, 3.40 - 3.43V, 3.48 - 3.52R, 0.175d.
2.6252d, K 20.6k/s, V0 +9.1k/s, asini 0.744.
Sco-Cen cluster; upper Cen group of Sco-Cen assoc.; member of Pleiades group.
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.

Phi Cen
Easy
Hot blue O-type star
Star mag 3.83 1.7° Centaurus
NGC 5237
Hard+
Elliptical galaxy
Galaxy mag 12.49 2.5° Centaurus
Chi Cen
Easy
Colorful double, sep 85.2″
Double Star mag 4.36 3.1° Centaurus
NGC 5139
omega Cen
Easy
Large bright globular cluster
Globular Cluster mag 3.7 7.1° Centaurus
NGC 5460
Easy
Rich open cluster
Open Cluster mag 5.6 7.4° Centaurus
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