This main sequence star in southern Dorado lies on the fringes of the Large Magellanic Cloud, as seen from Earth. It is approximately 2.5 times the mass and diameter of the Sun, and considerably more luminous, emitting about fifty times as much light. Eta1Doradus is notable as being the south polar star of Venus; that is, as seen from that planet, this star fulfils a similar role to Polaris in the skies of Earth, but for the south pole rather than the north.
On an almost direct line in the sky with Eta1Doradus, as seen from Earth, is the distant galaxy PGC 307786, seen here as a faint elongated shape to the southwest (lower right) of the star. Imagery provided by Aladin sky atlas
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