The AsterNym star registry
Ran
Ran: the warm orange star of Eridanus
warm orange · Eridanus · ε Eri
Ran is a warm orange giant, far along its stellar life in the constellation Eridanus, 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. Ran 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
Ran at a glance
- Constellation
- Eridanus
- Other name
- ε Eri
- Catalogue number
- HIP 16537
- Distance
- ≈ 10.0 light-years
- Brightness
- Magnitude 3.73 naked-eye
- Star type
- K2V
- Colour
- warm orange
- Best seen from
- Almost everywhere on Earth
- Right ascension
- 03h 32m 56s
- Declination
- −09° 27′ 30″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Ran dedication represent?
Ran 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 Eridanus in the sky.”
Where can you see Ran?
It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
Ran belongs to Eridanus.
Dedicate Ran to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Ran dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Ran's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Ran keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Ran
- Is Ran the brightest star?
- Ran shines at magnitude 3.73 — visible to the naked eye on a clear night, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Ran?
- Ran is approximately 10.0 light-years from Earth. The light reaching us tonight began its journey around 10 years ago.
- Which constellation contains Ran?
- Ran is part of Eridanus.
- Can everyone see Ran?
- It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
- Is dedicating Ran an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Ran 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.