The AsterNym star registry
Phact
Phact: the blue-white star of Columba
blue-white · Columba · α Col
Phact is a blue-white star — the colour of the hottest, youngest suns in the constellation Columba, 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. Phact 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
Phact at a glance
- Constellation
- Columba
- Other name
- α Col
- Catalogue number
- HIP 26634
- Distance
- ≈ 261 light-years
- Brightness
- Magnitude 2.65 naked-eye
- Star type
- B7IV
- Colour
- blue-white
- Best seen from
- The Southern Hemisphere and lower northern latitudes
- Right ascension
- 05h 39m 39s
- Declination
- −34° 04′ 27″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Phact dedication represent?
Phact 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 Columba in the sky.”
Where can you see Phact?
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 56°N.
Phact belongs to Columba, where it is the brightest star.
Dedicate Phact to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Phact dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Phact's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Phact keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Phact
- Is Phact the brightest star?
- Phact shines at magnitude 2.65 — visible to the naked eye on a clear night, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Phact?
- Phact is approximately 261 light-years from Earth. The light reaching us tonight began its journey around 261 years ago.
- Which constellation contains Phact?
- Phact is the brightest star in Columba.
- Can everyone see Phact?
- 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 56°N.
- Is dedicating Phact an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Phact 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.