The AsterNym star registry
Custos
Custos: the deep red star of Camelopardalis
deep red · Camelopardalis · BE Cam
Custos is a deep red star in the constellation Camelopardalis, 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. Custos 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
Custos at a glance
- Constellation
- Camelopardalis
- Other name
- BE Cam
- Catalogue number
- HIP 17884
- Distance
- ≈ 796 light-years
- Brightness
- Magnitude 4.48 naked-eye
- Star type
- M1III
- Colour
- deep red
- Best seen from
- The far northern sky
- Right ascension
- 03h 49m 31s
- Declination
- +65° 31′ 34″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Custos dedication represent?
Custos 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 Camelopardalis in the sky.”
Where can you see Custos?
It is a deep-northern star: easy from Europe, North America and northern Asia, but it never rises for observers south of about latitude 24°S.
Custos belongs to Camelopardalis, where it is the brightest star.
Dedicate Custos to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Custos dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Custos's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Custos keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Custos
- Is Custos the brightest star?
- Custos shines at magnitude 4.48 — visible to the naked eye on a clear night, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Custos?
- Custos is approximately 796 light-years from Earth. The light reaching us tonight began its journey around 796 years ago.
- Which constellation contains Custos?
- Custos is the brightest star in Camelopardalis.
- Can everyone see Custos?
- It is a deep-northern star: easy from Europe, North America and northern Asia, but it never rises for observers south of about latitude 24°S.
- Is dedicating Custos an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Custos 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.