Preview — this is a sample dedication, shown so you can see what a dedicated star page looks like.
A dedicated star
Karaka
warm orange · Apus · HD 137388
Dedicated to
Maya
by Her sister, June · August 12, 2026
“You were born on the brightest night of my life. Whenever you feel small, remember: there is a star that has carried your name since before you could read it — and it is still up there, still burning, still yours.”
This dedication
- Dedicated to
- Maya
- Dedicated by
- Her sister, June
- Recorded
- August 12, 2026
- Held until
- August 12, 2027
When this dedication ends, Karaka becomes available again. Want it? Put the date in your calendar.
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.
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.
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.