Menkar - α Ceti (alpha Ceti)

Below the horizon. Rise: 10:56 | Tran: 17:15 | Set: 23:34

Alt: -9.47° Az: 70.82° Direction: East-North-East

Menkar, also designated as α Ceti (alpha Ceti), is a variable giant star of spectral class M1 in the constellation of Cetus.

Menkar visual magnitude is 2.53, making it the 92th brightest star in the sky. Because of its brightness, Menkar is clearly visible to the naked eye when observed from locations with dark skies, and should be also quite easily visible from light polluted areas.

Image of Menkar - α Ceti (alpha Ceti) star

DSS2 image of Menkar. The red arrow shows the motion of Menkar during the next 10000 years (-1.50 arcmin in Right Ascension and -13.00 arcmin in declination);

Celestial Coordinates

Apparent

Right Ascension 03h 03m 35s

Declination +04° 11’ 14”

Hour Angle 16h 36m 21s

Sidereal Time 19h 39m 57s

J2000

Right Ascension 03h 02m 16s

Declination +04° 05’ 22”

Galactic Coordinates

Galactic Longitude 173.32°

Galactic Latitude -45.59°

Finder Chart

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Finder chart for Menkar - α Ceti (alpha Ceti).

Magnitude, Color, Spectral Class

Color ⬤

Magnitude 2.53

Class Giant

Absolute magnitude -1.62

Spectral Type M1III

Color Index (B-V) 1.64

Temperature 3594K

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

H-R diagram showing the position of Menkar. Attribution: Richard Powell / CC BY-SA

Distance, Radial Speed, Proper Motion

Menkar is distant 219.97 light years from the Sun and it is moving towards the Sun at the speed of 26 kilometers per second.

Distance (parsec) 67.48

Distance (light year) 219.97

Radial Speed -26 km/s

Proper Motion RA -0.009 arcsec/y

Proper Motion Dec -0.078"/y

Alternative Designations

Proper Name Menkar

Bayer designation α Ceti
(alpha Ceti)

Flamsteed designation 92 Ceti

Henry Draper Catalogue HD18884

SAO Catalogue SAO110920

Hipparcos Catalogue HIP14135

Durchmusterung Catalogue BD+03 419

FK5 Catalogue 107

General Catalogue of Variable Stars Alp Cet

Visibility from Your Location

Today's Menkar - α Ceti (alpha Ceti) rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, UK are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):

Azimuth: 85.8° RISE 10:56

Max altitude: 42.7° TRANSIT 17:15

Azimuth: 274.2° SET 23:34

Set Location

Other stars in Cetus