The AsterNym star registry
Ginan
Ginan: the warm orange star of Crux
warm orange · Crux · ε Cru
Ginan is a warm orange giant, far along its stellar life in the constellation Crux, 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. Ginan 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
Ginan at a glance
- Constellation
- Crux
- Other name
- ε Cru
- Catalogue number
- HIP 60260
- Distance
- ≈ 230 light-years
- Brightness
- Magnitude 3.59 naked-eye
- Star type
- K3/K4III
- Colour
- warm orange
- Best seen from
- The far southern sky
- Right ascension
- 12h 21m 22s
- Declination
- −60° 24′ 04″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Ginan dedication represent?
Ginan 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 Crux in the sky.”
Where can you see Ginan?
It is a deep-southern star: easy from Australia, New Zealand, southern Africa and South America, but it never rises for observers north of about latitude 30°N.
Ginan belongs to Crux.
Dedicate Ginan to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Ginan dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Ginan's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Ginan keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Ginan
- Is Ginan the brightest star?
- Ginan shines at magnitude 3.59 — visible to the naked eye on a clear night, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Ginan?
- Ginan is approximately 230 light-years from Earth. The light reaching us tonight began its journey around 230 years ago.
- Which constellation contains Ginan?
- Ginan is part of Crux.
- Can everyone see Ginan?
- It is a deep-southern star: easy from Australia, New Zealand, southern Africa and South America, but it never rises for observers north of about latitude 30°N.
- Is dedicating Ginan an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Ginan 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.