The AsterNym star registry
Formosa
Formosa: the golden star of Leo
golden · Leo · HD 100655
Formosa is a golden star, warmer-toned than our Sun in the constellation Leo, 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. Formosa 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
Formosa at a glance
- Constellation
- Leo
- Other name
- HD 100655
- Catalogue number
- HIP 56508
- Distance
- ≈ 399 light-years
- Brightness
- Magnitude 6.45 naked-eye
- Star type
- G9III
- Colour
- golden
- Best seen from
- Almost everywhere on Earth
- Right ascension
- 11h 35m 04s
- Declination
- +20° 26′ 30″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Formosa dedication represent?
Formosa 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 Leo in the sky.”
Where can you see Formosa?
It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
Formosa belongs to Leo.
Dedicate Formosa to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Formosa dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Formosa's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Formosa keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Formosa
- Is Formosa the brightest star?
- Formosa shines at magnitude 6.45 — visible to the naked eye on a clear night, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Formosa?
- Formosa is approximately 399 light-years from Earth. The light reaching us tonight began its journey around 399 years ago.
- Which constellation contains Formosa?
- Formosa is part of Leo.
- Can everyone see Formosa?
- It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
- Is dedicating Formosa an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Formosa 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.