Wurren

HR 338 · HIP 5348 · ζ Phe

👁️ Naked-eye

📋 A written introduction is coming — for now this page shows official values only.

Star

Apparent magnitude: 4.014 mag
Parallax: 10.92 mas → about 298.7 light-years away
Spectral type: B6V + B0V
Right ascension: 17.0962°
Declination: -55.2458°
Designation: HR 338
Bayer designation: ζ Phe
HIP number: 5348
IAU name adopted: 2017-11-17
Name language: Aboriginal/ Wardaman
Name origin (IAU): Wurren is the Wardaman name of ζ Phe, from the Northern Territory, Australia. Wurren means “child” and refers to the “Little Fish”, a child of Dungdung – the life-creating Frog Lady. Wurren gives water to Gawalyan, the echidna (Achernar), which they direct Earthly initiates to carry in small bowls. The water came from a great waterfall used to cool the people during the ceremony. Just as the water at the base of the waterfall keeps people cool and rises to the sky as mist, the water in the initiates’ bowls keeps them cool and symbolically transforms into clouds that bring the wet rains of the monsoon season. These ceremonies occur in late December when the weather is hot and these stars are high in the evening sky, signalling the start of the monsoon.

Constellation

Light from this object takes about 299 years to reach Earth — the light you see tonight left around AD 1727 (official distance ÷ speed of light).
At magnitude 4 it is bright enough for the naked eye (limit about 6) — look from somewhere dark.
Declination -55.2° — it never rises in Seoul (37.6° N); you need to be farther south to see it.

Worked out from this object's official values.

HR 338 · HIP 5348 · ζ Phe

👁️ Naked-eye

📋 A written introduction is coming — for now this page shows official values only.

Apparent magnitude: 4.014 mag
Parallax: 10.92 mas → about 298.7 light-years away
Spectral type: B6V + B0V
Right ascension: 17.0962°
Declination: -55.2458°
Designation: HR 338
Bayer designation: ζ Phe
HIP number: 5348
IAU name adopted: 2017-11-17
Name language: Aboriginal/ Wardaman
Name origin (IAU): Wurren is the Wardaman name of ζ Phe, from the Northern Territory, Australia. Wurren means “child” and refers to the “Little Fish”, a child of Dungdung – the life-creating Frog Lady. Wurren gives water to Gawalyan, the echidna (Achernar), which they direct Earthly initiates to carry in small bowls. The water came from a great waterfall used to cool the people during the ceremony. Just as the water at the base of the waterfall keeps people cool and rises to the sky as mist, the water in the initiates’ bowls keeps them cool and symbolically transforms into clouds that bring the wet rains of the monsoon season. These ceremonies occur in late December when the weather is hot and these stars are high in the evening sky, signalling the start of the monsoon.

Constellation

Light from this object takes about 299 years to reach Earth — the light you see tonight left around AD 1727 (official distance ÷ speed of light).
At magnitude 4 it is bright enough for the naked eye (limit about 6) — look from somewhere dark.
Declination -55.2° — it never rises in Seoul (37.6° N); you need to be farther south to see it.

Worked out from this object's official values.