Star profile
Alshat
Nu Capricorni · Capricornus
Hot blue starWhat is Alshat
Alshat is a hot blue B-class star 253 light years away, set within the goat-fish of Capricornus. Its Arabic name «al-shāt» means «the sheep», recalling a now nearly forgotten asterism in which the star appeared as a sacrificial animal beside the neighbouring zodiacal figures. Its light departed around 1770, in the midst of the European Enlightenment.
Where it is and when to see it
Alshat lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is July, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it culminates about 26° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 37° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 69° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 77° N.
It ranks no. 15 in brightness among the 48 stars of Capricornus in our catalogue. To find it, start from Deneb Algedi, the brightest: it lies about 21° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 250 years ago.
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Astronomical data for Alshat
- Constellation
- Capricornus
- Apparent magnitude
- 4.77
- Distance
- 253.3 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 305.166° · Dec -12.759°
- Catalogue
- HIP 100310 · HD 193432
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Other stars in Capricornus
Capricornus has 48 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- Deneb AlgediDelta Capricorni2.85
- DabihBeta Capricorni3.05
- AlgediAlpha 2 Capricorni3.58
- 36 Capricorni4.50
- Epsilon Capricorni4.51
- Kappa Capricorni4.72
- Rho Capricorni4.77
- Eta Capricorni4.82