Lang-Exster

HR 8502 · HIP 110130 · α Tuc

👁️ Naked-eye

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

Star

Apparent magnitude: 2.82 mag
Parallax: 16.33 mas → about 199.7 light-years away
Spectral type: K3III
Right ascension: 334.6255°
Declination: -60.2596°
Designation: HR 8502
Bayer designation: α Tuc
HIP number: 110130
IAU name adopted: 2024-09-19
Name language: Malay-Dutch
Name origin (IAU): "Lang" is an Malayan/ Indonesian term meaning "hornbill", "Exster" is a Dutch word meaning "magpie" and both terms were used as name for the newly defined constellation in Early Modern Age by the Dutch sailors (de Houtman 1603) who artificially created the constellation as "Indian Magpie" referring to a species of bird with a strong cultural significance for the indigenous people they met (e.g. Dayak). The star is a spectroscopic binary which is why it makes sense to give it a double-name for the visible dot; the name may be split for the components later.

Constellation

Light from this object takes about 200 years to reach Earth — the light you see tonight left around AD 1826 (official distance ÷ speed of light).
At magnitude 2.8 it is bright enough for the naked eye (limit about 6) — look from somewhere dark.
Declination -60.3° — 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.