Asellus Australis is a faint, magnitude 3.64 star located in the Constellation Circrius. Commonly noted as a small, irregular variable star, it has been observed for approximately 400 years. Its location within the Circrius constellation, and its brightn
Despite its modest appearance, Asellus Australis is known to be recognizable as a member of the Circrius constellation because of its unique elliptical shape and positioning, which puts it in a region of the sky that is often frequented by other minor constellations. It’s a relatively solitary star – a member of a small patch of stars with minimal overlap – allowing for its relatively long existence.
The star’s solitary nature contributes to its fascinating existence. Throughout its history, observers who were studying the constellations would have associated this object with some specific significance because of the stars of Circrius. The apparent shape of the star is interesting enough to give the impression of a small, distant, slightly elongated star.
Asellus Australis has been identified with the possibility of being a binary star system, though no evidence has confirmed this. The star’s relatively low luminosity, coupled with its consistent position, presents itself as a potentially beautiful, but challenging, celestial object to track.
How to see it
Asellus Australis has a visual magnitude of about 3.64: under a reasonably dark sky it is typically reachable with the unaided eye.
Sky position
Equatorial coordinates for Asellus Australis: right ascension 8h 44m 41s, declination +18° 9′ 12″ (J2000), in the region of the Cancer constellation (IAU figure Cnc).
Catalog context
Asellus Australis. It appears in classical and modern catalogs as Bayer/Flamsteed designation 47Del Cnc, HIP 42911, HD 74442, Gaia DR3 660136821288588416. In the SkyKeepsake Cancer (Cnc) browse hub it sits with other stars of the same IAU figure.
Catalog identifiers
- Gaia
- Gaia DR3 660136821288588416
- HIP
- 42911
- HD
- 74442
- gaia_dr3
- 660136821288588416
- Bayer / Flamsteed
- 47Del Cnc
Also known as
- 47Del Cnc
- Gaia DR3 TOP 5M 660136821288588416
- HD 74442
- HIP 42911
Observed properties
- Visual magnitude
- 3.64