Lab · Depth Lens
The W is only flat from here
Turn the photograph sideways to see where its stars really sit in space.
CaphSchedarNaviRuchbahSeginSeen from Earth
A familiar W
The five stars look like neighbours because Earth sees them from one direction.
One photograph. Five very different distances.Turn it sideways to see where each star really is, and when its light set out.
Depth is squashed so all five stars fit: each step deeper means many times farther away. The order is true, and the years are not squashed.
This browser couldn't start the 3D view. The list below has the same distances and years.
How far, and how long ago
Caph is the closest at about 55 light years. Navi is roughly 10 times farther. The years are when the light in this 2026 photo left each star.
| Star | Distance | Light left |
|---|---|---|
| Caph | 55 light years | 1971 |
| Ruchbah | 100 light years | 1927 |
| Schedar | 230 light years | 1798 (±2 yr) |
| Segin | 410 light years | 1614 (±22 yr) |
| Navi | 550 light years | 1477 (±11 yr) |
Distances: Hipparcos, the new reduction (van Leeuwen 2007), VizieR I/311/hip2, retrieved 26 October 2026. The ± shows the measurement uncertainty.