τ Canis Majoris (tau Canis Majoris)

Below the horizon. Rise: 12:14 | Tran: 15:50 | Set: 19:25

Alt: -16.66° Az: 109.41° Direction: East-South-East

τ Canis Majoris is a variable and multiple supergiant star of spectral class O9 in the constellation of Canis Major.

τ Canis Majoris visual magnitude is 4.4. Because of its moderate brightness, τ Canis Majoris 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.

Image of τ Canis Majoris (tau Canis Majoris) star

DSS2 image of τ Canis Majoris. The red arrow shows the motion of τ Canis Majoris during the next 10000 years (-1.50 arcmin in Right Ascension and 1.67 arcmin in declination);

Celestial Coordinates

Apparent

Right Ascension 07h 19m 45s

Declination -25° 00’ 07”

Hour Angle 18h 17m 51s

Sidereal Time 01h 37m 37s

J2000

Right Ascension 07h 18m 42s

Declination -24° 57’ 15”

Galactic Coordinates

Galactic Longitude 238.18°

Galactic Latitude -5.54°

Finder Chart

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Finder chart for τ Canis Majoris (tau Canis Majoris).

Magnitude, Color, Spectral Class

Color ⬤

Magnitude 4.4

Class Supergiant

Absolute magnitude -5.56

Spectral Type O9I

Color Index (B-V) -0.15

Temperature 12489K

The red dot in the diagram below shows where τ Canis Majoris is situated in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.

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

Distance, Radial Speed, Proper Motion

τ Canis Majoris is distant 3,196.08 light years from the Sun and it is moving far from the Sun at the speed of 40 kilometers per second.

Distance (parsec) 980.39

Distance (light year) 3,196.08

Radial Speed 40 km/s

Proper Motion RA -0.009 arcsec/y

Proper Motion Dec 0.01"/y

Alternative Designations

Bayer designation τ Canis Majoris
(tau Canis Majoris)

Flamsteed designation 30 Canis Majoris

Henry Draper Catalogue HD57061

SAO Catalogue SAO173446

Hipparcos Catalogue HIP35415

Durchmusterung Catalogue CD-24 5176

General Catalogue of Variable Stars 3528

Aitken Double Star Catalogue ADS5977

Visibility from Your Location

Today's τ Canis Majoris (tau Canis Majoris) rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, UK are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):

Azimuth: 115.0° RISE 12:14

Max altitude: 13.5° TRANSIT 15:50

Azimuth: 245.0° SET 19:25

Set Location

Other stars in Canis Major