The AsterNym star registry
Red Rectangle
Red Rectangle: the blue-white star of Monoceros
blue-white · Monoceros · HD 44179
Red Rectangle is a blue-white star — the colour of the hottest, youngest suns in the constellation Monoceros, 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. Red Rectangle 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
Red Rectangle at a glance
- Constellation
- Monoceros
- Other name
- HD 44179
- Catalogue number
- HIP 30089
- Distance
- ≈ 1,437 light-years
- Brightness
- Magnitude 9.33 telescope
- Star type
- B8
- Colour
- blue-white
- Best seen from
- Almost everywhere on Earth
- Right ascension
- 06h 19m 58s
- Declination
- −10° 38′ 15″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Red Rectangle dedication represent?
Red Rectangle 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 Monoceros in the sky.”
Where can you see Red Rectangle?
It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
Red Rectangle belongs to Monoceros.
Dedicate Red Rectangle to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Red Rectangle dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Red Rectangle's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Red Rectangle keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Red Rectangle
- Is Red Rectangle the brightest star?
- Red Rectangle shines at magnitude 9.33 — a binocular-and-telescope star, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Red Rectangle?
- Red Rectangle is approximately 1,437 light-years from Earth. The light reaching us tonight began its journey around 1,437 years ago.
- Which constellation contains Red Rectangle?
- Red Rectangle is part of Monoceros.
- Can everyone see Red Rectangle?
- It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
- Is dedicating Red Rectangle an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Red Rectangle 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.