The AsterNym star registry
Acubens
Acubens: the white star of Cancer
white · Cancer · α Cnc
Acubens is a white star, burning hotter than our own Sun in the constellation Cancer, one of the few thousand stars bright enough to carry an officially recognised name. On a dark, clear night you can find it with your own eyes.
Most stars in the sky are anonymous points of light. Acubens is not — it has held a name across generations of sky-watchers, which makes it a rare thing to attach a name of your own to.
Real star · Personal dedication · Recorded in the AsterNym registry
See what a dedicated page looks like — preview
Acubens at a glance
- Constellation
- Cancer
- Other name
- α Cnc
- Catalogue number
- HIP 44066
- Distance
- ≈ 175 light-years
- Brightness
- Magnitude 4.25 naked-eye
- Star type
- A5 III
- Colour
- white
- Best seen from
- Almost everywhere on Earth
- Right ascension
- 08h 58m 29s
- Declination
- +11° 51′ 28″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Acubens dedication represent?
Acubens is especially meaningful for someone who:
- · Deserves something older than any gift shop
- · Marks a beginning, an anniversary or a promise
- · Is remembered every time you look up
- · Has a light you want recorded somewhere permanent
Dedication idea
“For the one I think of when I find Cancer in the sky.”
Where can you see Acubens?
It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
Acubens belongs to Cancer.
Dedicate Acubens to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Acubens dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Acubens's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Acubens keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Acubens
- Is Acubens the brightest star?
- Acubens shines at magnitude 4.25 — visible to the naked eye on a clear night, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Acubens?
- Acubens is approximately 175 light-years from Earth. The light reaching us tonight began its journey around 175 years ago.
- Which constellation contains Acubens?
- Acubens is part of Cancer.
- Can everyone see Acubens?
- It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
- Is dedicating Acubens an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Acubens keeps its internationally recognised astronomical name. An AsterNym dedication records your personal name and message in the AsterNym registry without changing the star's scientific identity.