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public Observing fromLocation: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
north SunriseRise: 4:50  
clear_day Transit: 12:56  
SunsetSet: 21:03 south
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All Constellations » Monoceros » 

α Monocerotis (alpha Monocerotis)

α Monocerotis is a hypergiant star in the constellation of Monoceros.

α Monocerotis visual magnitude is 3.93. Because of its moderate brightness, α Monocerotis should be easily visible from locations with dark skyes, while it can be barely visible, or not visible at all, from skyes affected by light pollution.

The table below summarizes the key facts about α Monocerotis:

3.93
Hypergiant
α Monocerotis (alpha Monocerotis) is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt.

Celestial coordinates and finder chart of α Monocerotis

α Monocerotis 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 α Monocerotis are provided in the following table:

07h 41m 14s
-09° 33’ 03”
227.19°
6.52°
Monoceros

The simplified sky map below shows the position of α Monocerotis in the sky:

Finder chart α Monocerotis (alpha Monocerotis) star
Simplified finder chart for α Monocerotis (alpha Monocerotis).

Visibility of α Monocerotis from your location

Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London

Today's α Monocerotis (alpha Monocerotis) rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):

Azimuth: 99.6°
Max altitude: 29.0°
Azimuth: 260.4°
α Monocerotis (alpha Monocerotis) is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom

Digitized Sky Survey image of α Monocerotis

The image below is a photograph of α Monocerotis from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2 - see the credits section) taken in the red channel. The area of sky represented in the image is 0.5x0.5 degrees (30x30 arcmins). The proper motion of α Monocerotis is -0.073 arcsec per year in Right Ascension and -0.019 arcsec per year in Declination and the associated displacement for the next 10000 years is represented with the red arrow.

Image of α Monocerotis (alpha Monocerotis) star
DSS2 image of α Monocerotis. The red arrow shows the motion of α Monocerotis during the next 10000 years (-12.17 arcmin in Right Ascension and -3.17 arcmin in declination);

Distance of α Monocerotis from the Sun and relative movement

α Monocerotis is distant 144.18 light years from the Sun and it is moving far from the Sun at the speed of 11 kilometers per second.

44.23 pc
144.18 ly
11 km/s
-0.073 arcsec/year
-0.019 arcsec/year

Spectral properties of α Monocerotis

α Monocerotis belongs to spectral class K0 and has a luminosity class of III corresponding to a hypergiant star.

0.70
K0III
4695K

The red dot in the diagram below shows where α Monocerotis is situated in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.

HR Diagram
H-R diagram showing the position of α Monocerotis. Attribution: Richard Powell / CC BY-SA

Alternative designations of α Monocerotis

α Monocerotis
(alpha Monocerotis)
26 Monocerotis
SAO134986
SAO134986