Acrab
Also known as β Sco · HR 5984
Acrab is a beta cep variable star in the constellation Scorpius, about 1,110 light-years from Earth.
Facts
| Type | Beta cep variable star (spectral type B1V) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Scorpius |
| Position (J2000) | 16h 05m 26s, −19° 48′ |
| Distance | 1,110 light-years (its light set off about 1,110 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 2.62 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Studied in | 579 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Acrab is highest in the sky at midnight in May. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 50° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 20°. To see it you need the naked eye, even from a town.
Heights are worked out for India and for 50° N. Set your location in Settings to see them for where you are.
For tonight's best time from your own town, the darkness and the Moon, open it on the map and see its "Tonight from your location" card.
More in Scorpius
- Butterfly Cluster (M6)
- Butterfly Nebula
- Cat's Paw Nebula
- M4 (NGC 6121)
- M80 (NGC 6093)
- Prawn Nebula
- Ptolemy Cluster (M7)
- War and Peace Nebula
Everything in Scorpius · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · Data sources & credits