κ Pyxidis (kappa Pyxidis)

κ Pyxidis is a variable and double giant star in the constellation of Pyxis.

κ Pyxidis visual magnitude is 4.58. Because of its moderate brightness, κ Pyxidis 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 κ Pyxidis:

Celestial coordinates and finder chart of κ Pyxidis

κ Pyxidis is situated south of the celestial equator, as such, it is more easily visible from the southern emisphere. Celestial coordinates for the J2000 equinox as well as galactic coordinates of κ Pyxidis are provided in the following table:

The simplified sky map below shows the position of κ Pyxidis in the sky:

Visibility of κ Pyxidis from your location

Today's κ Pyxidis (kappa Pyxidis) rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, United Kingdom [change] are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):

Digitized Sky Survey image of κ Pyxidis

The image below is a photograph of κ Pyxidis 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 κ Pyxidis is 0.041 arcsec per year in Right Ascension and 0.008 arcsec per year in Declination and the associated displacement for the next 10000 years is represented with the red arrow.

Distance of κ Pyxidis from the Sun and relative movement

κ Pyxidis is distant 487.29 light years from the Sun and it is moving towards the Sun at the speed of 45 kilometers per second.

Spectral properties of κ Pyxidis

κ Pyxidis belongs to spectral class K4 and has a luminosity class of III corresponding to a giant star.

The red dot in the diagram below shows where κ Pyxidis is situated in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.

κ Pyxidis star system properties

κ Pyxidis is a visual double star which can be observed with the help of medium or large telescopes. The table below shows key information about the κ Pyxidis double sysyem:

Alternative designations of κ Pyxidis