The AsterNym star registry
Karaka
Karaka: the warm orange star of Apus
warm orange · Apus · HD 137388
Karaka is a warm orange giant, far along its stellar life in the constellation Apus, one of the few thousand stars bright enough to carry an officially recognised name. It rewards a pair of binoculars on a clear night.
Most stars in the sky are anonymous points of light. Karaka 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
Karaka at a glance
- Constellation
- Apus
- Other name
- HD 137388
- Catalogue number
- HIP 76351
- Distance
- ≈ 128 light-years
- Brightness
- Magnitude 8.71 telescope
- Star type
- K0/K1V
- Colour
- warm orange
- Best seen from
- The far southern sky
- Right ascension
- 15h 35m 40s
- Declination
- −80° 12′ 17″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Karaka dedication represent?
Karaka 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 Apus in the sky.”
Where can you see Karaka?
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 10°N.
Karaka belongs to Apus.
Dedicate Karaka to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Karaka dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Karaka's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Karaka keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Karaka
- Is Karaka the brightest star?
- Karaka shines at magnitude 8.71 — a binocular-and-telescope star, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Karaka?
- Karaka is approximately 128 light-years from Earth. The light reaching us tonight began its journey around 128 years ago.
- Which constellation contains Karaka?
- Karaka is part of Apus.
- Can everyone see Karaka?
- 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 10°N.
- Is dedicating Karaka an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Karaka 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.