The AsterNym star registry
Nikawiy
Nikawiy: the golden star of Boötes
golden · Boötes · HD 136418
Nikawiy is a golden star, warmer-toned than our Sun in the constellation Boötes, 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. Nikawiy 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
Nikawiy at a glance
- Constellation
- Boötes
- Other name
- HD 136418
- Catalogue number
- HIP 74961
- Distance
- ≈ 320 light-years
- Brightness
- Magnitude 7.88 telescope
- Star type
- G5
- Colour
- golden
- Best seen from
- The Northern Hemisphere and lower southern latitudes
- Right ascension
- 15h 19m 06s
- Declination
- +41° 44′ 00″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Nikawiy dedication represent?
Nikawiy 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 Boötes in the sky.”
Where can you see Nikawiy?
It is easy to see from most of the Northern Hemisphere. It can also appear from lower southern latitudes, but it never rises for observers south of about latitude 48°S.
Nikawiy belongs to Boötes.
Dedicate Nikawiy to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Nikawiy dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Nikawiy's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Nikawiy keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Nikawiy
- Is Nikawiy the brightest star?
- Nikawiy shines at magnitude 7.88 — a binocular-and-telescope star, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Nikawiy?
- Nikawiy is approximately 320 light-years from Earth. The light reaching us tonight began its journey around 320 years ago.
- Which constellation contains Nikawiy?
- Nikawiy is part of Boötes.
- Can everyone see Nikawiy?
- It is easy to see from most of the Northern Hemisphere. It can also appear from lower southern latitudes, but it never rises for observers south of about latitude 48°S.
- Is dedicating Nikawiy an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Nikawiy 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.