τ Centauri (tau Centauri)

Below the horizon. Never rises today

Alt: -82.04° Az: 286.02° Direction: West-North-West

τ Centauri is a main-sequence star of spectral class A2 in the constellation of Centaurus.

τ Centauri visual magnitude is 3.86. Because of its moderate brightness, τ 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 τ Centauri. The red arrow shows the motion of τ Centauri during the next 1000 years (-3.07 arcmin in Right Ascension and -0.08 arcmin in declination);

Celestial Coordinates

Apparent

Right Ascension 12h 39m 07s

Declination -48° 40’ 52”

Hour Angle 11h 13m 28s

Sidereal Time 23h 52m 35s

J2000

Right Ascension 12h 37m 42s

Declination -48° 32’ 27”

Galactic Coordinates

Galactic Longitude 300.59°

Galactic Latitude 14.27°

Finder Chart

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Finder chart for τ Centauri (tau Centauri).

Magnitude, Color, Spectral Class

Color ⬤

Magnitude 3.86

Class Main-sequence

Absolute magnitude 0.83

Spectral Type A2V

Color Index (B-V) 0.05

Temperature 9542K

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

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

Distance, Radial Speed, Proper Motion

τ Centauri is distant 131.61 light years from the Sun and it is moving far from the Sun at the speed of 5 kilometers per second.

Distance (parsec) 40.37

Distance (light year) 131.61

Radial Speed 5 km/s

Proper Motion RA -0.184 arcsec/y

Proper Motion Dec -0.005"/y

Alternative Designations

Bayer designation τ Centauri
(tau Centauri)

Henry Draper Catalogue HD109787

SAO Catalogue SAO223560

Hipparcos Catalogue HIP61622

Durchmusterung Catalogue CD-47 7745

Visibility from Your Location

τ Centauri (tau Centauri) is currently not visible from Greenwich, UK

In Evidence

Other stars in Centaurus

τ Centauri (tau Centauri)

Celestial Coordinates

Apparent

J2000

Galactic Coordinates

Finder Chart

Magnitude, Color, Spectral Class

Distance, Radial Speed, Proper Motion

Alternative Designations

Visibility from Your Location

Set Location

In Evidence

Other stars in Centaurus

τ Centauri (tau Centauri)

Celestial Coordinates

Apparent

J2000

Galactic Coordinates

Finder Chart

Magnitude, Color, Spectral Class

Distance, Radial Speed, Proper Motion

Alternative Designations

Visibility from Your Location