The AsterNym star registry
Petra
Petra: the pale star of Aquila
pale · Aquila · WASP-80
Petra is a pale star in the constellation Aquila, 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. Petra 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
Petra at a glance
- Constellation
- Aquila
- Other name
- WASP-80
- Catalogue number
- WASP-80
- Brightness
- Magnitude 11.27 telescope
- Star type
- Colour
- pale
- Best seen from
- Almost everywhere on Earth
- Right ascension
- 20h 12m 40s
- Declination
- −02° 08′ 39″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Petra dedication represent?
Petra 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 Aquila in the sky.”
Where can you see Petra?
It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
Petra belongs to Aquila.
Dedicate Petra to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Petra dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Petra's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Petra keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Petra
- Is Petra the brightest star?
- Petra shines at magnitude 11.27 — a binocular-and-telescope star, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Petra?
- Petra's distance is catalogued from its measured parallax; see its astronomical coordinates below.
- Which constellation contains Petra?
- Petra is part of Aquila.
- Can everyone see Petra?
- It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
- Is dedicating Petra an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Petra 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.