The AsterNym star registry
Southern Crab
Southern Crab: the pale star of Centaurus
pale · Centaurus · WRAY 16-147
Southern Crab is a pale star in the constellation Centaurus, 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. Southern Crab 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
Southern Crab at a glance
- Constellation
- Centaurus
- Other name
- WRAY 16-147
- Catalogue number
- WRAY 16-147
- Brightness
- Magnitude 14.20 telescope
- Star type
- Colour
- pale
- Best seen from
- The Southern Hemisphere and lower northern latitudes
- Right ascension
- 14h 11m 52s
- Declination
- −51° 26′ 24″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Southern Crab dedication represent?
Southern Crab 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 Centaurus in the sky.”
Where can you see Southern Crab?
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 39°N.
Southern Crab belongs to Centaurus.
Dedicate Southern Crab to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Southern Crab dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Southern Crab's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Southern Crab keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Southern Crab
- Is Southern Crab the brightest star?
- Southern Crab shines at magnitude 14.20 — a binocular-and-telescope star, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Southern Crab?
- Southern Crab's distance is catalogued from its measured parallax; see its astronomical coordinates below.
- Which constellation contains Southern Crab?
- Southern Crab is part of Centaurus.
- Can everyone see Southern Crab?
- 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 39°N.
- Is dedicating Southern Crab an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Southern Crab 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.