The AsterNym star registry
Alcyone
Alcyone: the blue-white star of Taurus
blue-white · Taurus · η Tau
Alcyone is a blue-white star — the colour of the hottest, youngest suns in the constellation Taurus, 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. Alcyone 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
Alcyone at a glance
- Constellation
- Taurus
- Other name
- η Tau
- Catalogue number
- HIP 17702
- Distance
- ≈ 440 light-years
- Brightness
- Magnitude 2.87 naked-eye
- Star type
- B7 III
- Colour
- blue-white
- Best seen from
- Almost everywhere on Earth
- Right ascension
- 03h 47m 28s
- Declination
- +24° 06′ 18″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Alcyone dedication represent?
Alcyone 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 Taurus in the sky.”
Where can you see Alcyone?
It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
Alcyone belongs to Taurus.
Dedicate Alcyone to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Alcyone dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Alcyone's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Alcyone keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Alcyone
- Is Alcyone the brightest star?
- Alcyone shines at magnitude 2.87 — visible to the naked eye on a clear night, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Alcyone?
- Alcyone is approximately 440 light-years from Earth. The light reaching us tonight began its journey around 440 years ago.
- Which constellation contains Alcyone?
- Alcyone is part of Taurus.
- Can everyone see Alcyone?
- It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
- Is dedicating Alcyone an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Alcyone 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.