The AsterNym star registry
Alkes
Alkes: the warm orange star of Crater
warm orange · Crater · α Crt
Alkes is a warm orange giant, far along its stellar life in the constellation Crater, 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. Alkes 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
Alkes at a glance
- Constellation
- Crater
- Other name
- α Crt
- Catalogue number
- HIP 53740
- Distance
- ≈ 159 light-years
- Brightness
- Magnitude 4.08 naked-eye
- Star type
- K1III
- Colour
- warm orange
- Best seen from
- Almost everywhere on Earth
- Right ascension
- 10h 59m 46s
- Declination
- −18° 17′ 56″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Alkes dedication represent?
Alkes 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 Crater in the sky.”
Where can you see Alkes?
It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
Alkes belongs to Crater, where it is the brightest star.
Dedicate Alkes to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Alkes dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Alkes's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Alkes keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Alkes
- Is Alkes the brightest star?
- Alkes shines at magnitude 4.08 — visible to the naked eye on a clear night, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Alkes?
- Alkes is approximately 159 light-years from Earth. The light reaching us tonight began its journey around 159 years ago.
- Which constellation contains Alkes?
- Alkes is the brightest star in Crater.
- Can everyone see Alkes?
- It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
- Is dedicating Alkes an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Alkes 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.