Tau Centauri — Star in Centaurus
Observe
1Physical Properties
Magnitude
3.86
Spectral Type
A1IVnn
supergiant
Star Color
White
(B-V 0.05)
Distance
136 ly
2Position & Identifiers
RA
12h 37m 42.2s
Dec
-48° 32' 28.0"
Constellation
Centaurus
(Cen)
HR
4802
HIP
61622
HD
109787
SAO
223560
Bayer
Tau
Querying VizieR catalog...
3How easy to spot?
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| Equipment | Bortle 3 | Bortle 4 | Bortle 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naked eye Naked eye | Easy | Medium+ | Medium+ |
| 50 mm finder 50mm finder | Easy | Easy | Easy |
| 150 mm telescope 150mm scope | Easy | Easy | Easy |
Easy
Medium
Hard
Very hard
Impossible
Bortle 3 = rural · 4 = outer suburbs · 5 = suburbs
4Visibility
Set a location in User Settings to see visibility data.
Best season
Feb – Apr
(peak: Mar)
5Survey Image
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Explore
7
Size Comparison
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8
Compare Stars
9
Spectral Classification
10
Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
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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
Discover
15
Light Travel Time Machine
16
Relativistic Travel
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Visibility scores assume a 150 mm Newton at Bortle 4.
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Article
Centaurus
Mythology, bright stars, and deep-sky highlights.
Constellation
