The AsterNym star registry
Natasha
Natasha: the warm orange star of Vela
warm orange · Vela · HD 85390
Natasha is a warm orange giant, far along its stellar life in the constellation Vela, 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. Natasha 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
Natasha at a glance
- Constellation
- Vela
- Other name
- HD 85390
- Catalogue number
- HIP 48235
- Distance
- ≈ 106 light-years
- Brightness
- Magnitude 8.54 telescope
- Star type
- K1V
- Colour
- warm orange
- Best seen from
- The Southern Hemisphere and lower northern latitudes
- Right ascension
- 09h 50m 02s
- Declination
- −49° 47′ 25″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Natasha dedication represent?
Natasha 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 Vela in the sky.”
Where can you see Natasha?
It is easy to see from much of the Southern Hemisphere. It can also appear from lower northern latitudes, but it never rises for observers north of about latitude 40°N.
Natasha belongs to Vela.
Dedicate Natasha to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Natasha dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Natasha's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Natasha keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Natasha
- Is Natasha the brightest star?
- Natasha shines at magnitude 8.54 — a binocular-and-telescope star, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Natasha?
- Natasha is approximately 106 light-years from Earth. The light reaching us tonight began its journey around 106 years ago.
- Which constellation contains Natasha?
- Natasha is part of Vela.
- Can everyone see Natasha?
- It is easy to see from much of the Southern Hemisphere. It can also appear from lower northern latitudes, but it never rises for observers north of about latitude 40°N.
- Is dedicating Natasha an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Natasha 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.