Delta Ceti, Latinized from δ Ceti, is a single,[7] blue-white hued star in the equatorial constellation of Cetus. The star's apparent visual magnitude of +4.06[2] means it is near to the cusp of the faintest third of the stars that are visible the ideally-placed naked eye. It is 0.3238° north of the celestial equator compared to the celestial north pole's 90°. The star is positioned about 0.74°WNW of the spiral galaxyM77, but which at apparent magnitude 9.6 needs magnification to be made out and has an apparent size of only 0.1° by 0.12°.
Based upon an annual parallax shift of 5.02 mas as seen from Earth,[1] it is around 650 light years from the Sun. Motion relative to our system's trajectory includes a highly parting vector: with a net radial velocity of about +13 km/s.[4] It moves minutely across the celestial sphere – yet just over four times more in right ascension than in declination.
This star, along with α Cet (Menkar), λ Cet (Menkar), γ Cet (Kaffaljidhma), μ Cet, ξ1 Cet and ξ2 Cet were Al Kaff al Jidhmah, "the Part of a Hand".[10]
According to the catalogue of stars in the Technical Memorandum 33-507 - A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars, Al Kaff al Jidhmah were the title for five stars :γ Cet as Kaffaljidhma, ξ1 Cet as Al Kaff al Jidhmah I, ξ2 Cet as Al Kaff al Jidhmah II, δ Cet as Al Kaff al Jidhmah III and μ Cet as Al Kaff al Jidhmah IV (exclude α Cet and λ Cet.)[11]
^ abcdJohnson, H. L.; Mitchell, R. I.; Iriarte, B.; Wisniewski, W. Z. (1966). "UBVRIJKL photometry of the bright stars". Communications of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. 4 (99): 99. Bibcode:1966CoLPL...4...99J.