ρ Centauri (rho Centauri)

Below the horizon. Never rises today

Alt: -36.72° Az: 229.28° Direction: South-West

ρ Centauri is a main-sequence star of spectral class B3 in the constellation of Centaurus.

ρ Centauri visual magnitude is 3.96. Because of its moderate brightness, ρ Centauri is easily visible to the naked eye from locations with dark skies, while it might be barely visible, or not visible at all, from light-polluted skies.

DSS2 image of ρ Centauri. The red arrow shows the motion of ρ Centauri during the next 10000 years (-5.83 arcmin in Right Ascension and -2.67 arcmin in declination);

Celestial Coordinates

Apparent

Right Ascension 12h 12m 59s

Declination -52° 30’ 35”

Hour Angle 05h 46m 10s

Sidereal Time 17h 59m 09s

J2000

Right Ascension 12h 11m 39s

Declination -52° 22’ 06”

Galactic Coordinates

Galactic Longitude 296.78°

Galactic Latitude 10.03°

Finder Chart

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Finder chart for ρ Centauri (rho Centauri).

Magnitude, Color, Spectral Class

Color ⬤

Magnitude 3.96

Class Main-sequence

Absolute magnitude -1.14

Spectral Type B3V

Color Index (B-V) -0.15

Temperature 12489K

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

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

Distance, Radial Speed, Proper Motion

ρ Centauri is distant 342.08 light years from the Sun and it is moving far from the Sun at the speed of 15 kilometers per second.

Distance (parsec) 104.93

Distance (light year) 342.08

Radial Speed 15 km/s

Proper Motion RA -0.035 arcsec/y

Proper Motion Dec -0.016"/y

Alternative Designations

Bayer designation ρ Centauri
(rho Centauri)

Henry Draper Catalogue HD105937

SAO Catalogue SAO239737

Hipparcos Catalogue HIP59449

Durchmusterung Catalogue CD-51 6455

Visibility from Your Location

ρ Centauri (rho Centauri) is currently not visible from Greenwich, UK

Set Location

Other stars in Centaurus