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PP Carinae — Star in Carina

Star Carina (Car) Visible
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1Physical Properties

Magnitude 3.32
Range 3.22 - 3.55
Variable Type Gamma Cassiopeiae (Eruptive Be Star)
Spectral Type B4Ve
Star Color Blue-white (B-V -0.09)
Distance 484 ly

2Position & Identifiers

RA 10h 32m 01.4s
Dec -61° 41' 07.0"
Constellation Carina (Car)
HR 4140
HIP 51576
HD 91465
Variable ID PP Car
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 Jan – Mar (peak: Feb)

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6

Size Comparison

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Compare Stars

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

Gamma Cas 3.27 - 3.37V.
Shell star. Variable Balmer line profiles. Indications that stellar wind is stronger than in most early-type Be stars.
15

Light Travel Time Machine

16

Relativistic Travel

Survey Image

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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 3255
Medium+
Open cluster
Open Cluster mag 11.0 1.2° Carina
Eta Carinae Nebula
NGC 3372
Easy
Emission nebula — try an OIII filter
Emission Nebula mag 3.0 2.4° Carina
S Car
Easy
Mira-type variable, range 4.5–9.9
Variable Star mag 5.60 2.7° Carina
Theta Car
Easy
Hot blue O-type star
Star mag 2.76 3.0° Carina
HIP 53253
Easy
Easy double, sep 160.4″
Double Star mag 3.78 3.9° Carina
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The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram — Reading Stars Like a Map
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