Phact - α Columbae (alpha Columbae)
Phact, also designated as α Columbae (alpha Columbae), is a variable and double sub-giant star in the constellation of Columba.
Phact visual magnitude is 2.64. Thanks to its high brightness, Phact is clearly visible when observed from locations with dark skyes, and should be also quite easily visible from light polluted areas.
The table below summarizes the key facts about Phact:
Celestial coordinates and finder chart of Phact
Phact 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 Phact are provided in the following table:
The simplified sky map below shows the position of Phact in the sky:
Visibility of Phact from your location
Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom [change]
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
Today's Phact - α Columbae (alpha Columbae) 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 Phact
The image below is a photograph of Phact 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 Phact is 0.007 arcsec per year in Right Ascension and -0.026 arcsec per year in Declination and the associated displacement for the next 10000 years is represented with the red arrow.
Distance of Phact from the Sun and relative movement
Phact is distant 268.09 light years from the Sun and it is moving far from the Sun at the speed of 35 kilometers per second.
Spectral properties of Phact
Phact belongs to spectral class B7 and has a luminosity class of IV corresponding to a sub-giant star.
The red dot in the diagram below shows where Phact is situated in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.
Phact star system properties
Phact 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 Phact double sysyem: