τ Ceti (tau Ceti)
τ Ceti is a double main-sequence star in the constellation of Cetus.
τ Ceti visual magnitude is 3.5. Because of its moderate brightness, τ Ceti should be easily visible from locations with dark skies, while it can be barely visible, or not visible at all, from skies affected by light pollution.
The proper motion of τ Ceti is -1.718 arcsec per year in Right Ascension and 0.856 arcsec per year in Declination and the associated displacement for the next 100 years is represented with the red arrow.
Key facts about τ Ceti
τ Ceti (tau Ceti) is above the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom.
Altitude: 2.2°
Azimuth: 119.3°
Direction: East-South-East
Celestial coordinates and finder chart of τ Ceti
τ Ceti is situated close to the celestial equator, as such, it is at least partly visible from both hemispheres in certain times of the year. Celestial coordinates for the J2000 equinox as well as galactic coordinates of τ Ceti are provided in the following table:
The simplified sky map below shows the position of τ Ceti in the sky:
Visibility of τ Ceti from your location
Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
Today's τ Ceti (tau Ceti) rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, United Kingdom are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
Distance of τ Ceti from the Sun and relative movement
τ Ceti is distant 11.89 light years from the Sun and it is moving towards the Sun at the speed of 16 kilometers per second.
Spectral properties of τ Ceti
τ Ceti belongs to spectral class G8 and has a luminosity class of V corresponding to a main-sequence star.
The red dot in the diagram below shows where τ Ceti is situated in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.
τ Ceti star system properties
τ Ceti is a visual double star which can be observed only with the help of very large telescopes. The table below shows key information about the τ Ceti double sysyem: