The AsterNym star registry
Meleph
Meleph: the white star of Cancer
white · Cancer · ε Cnc
Meleph is a white star, burning hotter than our own Sun in the constellation Cancer, 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. Meleph 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
Meleph at a glance
- Constellation
- Cancer
- Other name
- ε Cnc
- Catalogue number
- HIP 42556
- Distance
- ≈ 587 light-years
- Brightness
- Magnitude 6.29 naked-eye
- Star type
- Am
- Colour
- white
- Best seen from
- Almost everywhere on Earth
- Right ascension
- 08h 40m 27s
- Declination
- +19° 32′ 41″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Meleph dedication represent?
Meleph 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 Cancer in the sky.”
Where can you see Meleph?
It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
Meleph belongs to Cancer.
Dedicate Meleph to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Meleph dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Meleph's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Meleph keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Meleph
- Is Meleph the brightest star?
- Meleph shines at magnitude 6.29 — visible to the naked eye on a clear night, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Meleph?
- Meleph is approximately 587 light-years from Earth. The light reaching us tonight began its journey around 587 years ago.
- Which constellation contains Meleph?
- Meleph is part of Cancer.
- Can everyone see Meleph?
- It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
- Is dedicating Meleph an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Meleph 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.