When is the best time to observe Rana?

Rana is best observed from October through December, with peak visibility during November when it transits around midnight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is Rana located in the sky?

Rana lies in the constellation Eridanus at right ascension 03h 43m and declination -09° 46′.

What telescope do I need to see Rana?

At magnitude 3.5, Rana is visible to the naked eye from dark skies, easy in any binoculars.

Rana — Star in Eridanus

HIP 17378; Delta Eridani; 23 Eridani

Magnitude 3.5^m Star Eridanus (Eri) Visible

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About Rana

Description

Rana, Delta Eridani, is a K-type subgiant of spectral class K1 III-IV only 29.9 light-years away — one of the closest subgiants to the Sun. Despite being a giant, its proximity makes it bright enough to shine at magnitude 3.54. Rana has a mass of about 1.2 Suns and is actively evolving off the main sequence. It is a known radial-velocity exoplanet candidate host.

Observing Tips

Rana sits in the central part of Eridanus, the long winding celestial river. In binoculars it glows a soft orange. Rana is a good proper-motion demonstration star: its position has shifted detectably over decades, visible in careful comparisons of old and new star charts. Best observed October through February.

History

The name Rana is Latin for "frog" — a medieval European designation preserved through star-catalog tradition. The IAU formally adopted the name in 2016.

Fun Facts

Rana's proximity combined with its evolved status make it an important benchmark for calibrating models of post-main-sequence evolution. The star has been proposed as a target for interstellar-probe concept studies, being less than 30 light-years away and hosting a possible planetary system.