The AsterNym star registry
Zhang
Zhang: the golden star of Hydra
golden · Hydra · υ1 Hya
Zhang is a golden star, warmer-toned than our Sun in the constellation Hydra, 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. Zhang 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
Zhang at a glance
- Constellation
- Hydra
- Other name
- υ1 Hya
- Catalogue number
- HIP 48356
- Distance
- ≈ 264 light-years
- Brightness
- Magnitude 4.11 naked-eye
- Star type
- G6/G8III
- Colour
- golden
- Best seen from
- Almost everywhere on Earth
- Right ascension
- 09h 51m 29s
- Declination
- −14° 50′ 48″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Zhang dedication represent?
Zhang 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 Hydra in the sky.”
Where can you see Zhang?
It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
Zhang belongs to Hydra.
Dedicate Zhang to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Zhang dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Zhang's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Zhang keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Zhang
- Is Zhang the brightest star?
- Zhang shines at magnitude 4.11 — visible to the naked eye on a clear night, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Zhang?
- Zhang is approximately 264 light-years from Earth. The light reaching us tonight began its journey around 264 years ago.
- Which constellation contains Zhang?
- Zhang is part of Hydra.
- Can everyone see Zhang?
- It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
- Is dedicating Zhang an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Zhang 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.