Meleph is a relatively small, low-bright star in the Centaur constellation, catalogued as Cnc. This star’s magnitude is 6.268, placing it amongst the more prominent celestial objects in the heavens. Meleph has a parallax angle of 5.384 mas, meaning its di
Historically, Meleph is recognized as a significant feature within the Centaur constellation, and its prominent placement across the night sky has made it particularly noticeable to early stargazers. Its relatively large, elliptical shape, combined with its relatively low magnitude, makes it easily observable from a location on Earth. It’s situated in a region of the sky where it presents a clear viewing target for both observers and amateur astronomers. Observing Meleph’s bright, somewhat blue-tinged light from Earth, is a familiar part of the night sky.
While MeLEph is not directly associated with a specific myth or legend, its location and apparent brightness within a celestial grouping like the Centaur constellation arguably lend itself to a feeling of historical significance and importance to those who would have observed it. It was almost certainly a key light within the sky, seen long before light transmission became common.
How to see it
Meleph has a visual magnitude of about 6.27: it usually needs binoculars or a small telescope, especially from light-polluted sites.
Sky position
Equatorial coordinates for Meleph: right ascension 8h 40m 27s, declination +19° 32′ 41″ (J2000), in the region of the Cancer constellation (IAU figure Cnc).
Catalog context
Meleph. It appears in classical and modern catalogs as Bayer/Flamsteed designation 41Eps Cnc, HIP 42556, HD 73731, Gaia DR3 661291136701346304. In the SkyKeepsake Cancer (Cnc) browse hub it sits with other stars of the same IAU figure.
Catalog identifiers
- Gaia
- Gaia DR3 661291136701346304
- HIP
- 42556
- HD
- 73731
- gaia_dr3
- 661291136701346304
- Bayer / Flamsteed
- 41Eps Cnc
Also known as
- 41Eps Cnc
- Gaia DR3 TOP 5M 661291136701346304
- HD 73731
- HIP 42556
Observed properties
- Visual magnitude
- 6.27