The AsterNym star registry
Unukalhai
Unukalhai: the warm orange star of Serpens
warm orange · Serpens · α Ser
Unukalhai is a warm orange giant, far along its stellar life in the constellation Serpens, 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. Unukalhai 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
Unukalhai at a glance
- Constellation
- Serpens
- Other name
- α Ser
- Catalogue number
- HIP 77070
- Distance
- ≈ 74 light-years
- Brightness
- Magnitude 2.63 naked-eye
- Star type
- K2 III
- Colour
- warm orange
- Best seen from
- Almost everywhere on Earth
- Right ascension
- 15h 44m 18s
- Declination
- +06° 25′ 32″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Unukalhai dedication represent?
Unukalhai 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 Serpens in the sky.”
Where can you see Unukalhai?
It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
Unukalhai belongs to Serpens, where it is the brightest star.
Dedicate Unukalhai to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Unukalhai dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Unukalhai's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Unukalhai keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Unukalhai
- Is Unukalhai the brightest star?
- Unukalhai shines at magnitude 2.63 — visible to the naked eye on a clear night, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Unukalhai?
- Unukalhai is approximately 74 light-years from Earth. The light reaching us tonight began its journey around 74 years ago.
- Which constellation contains Unukalhai?
- Unukalhai is the brightest star in Serpens.
- Can everyone see Unukalhai?
- It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
- Is dedicating Unukalhai an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Unukalhai 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.