Star profile
Sadalsuud
Beta Aquarii · Aquarius
Highly luminous starWhat is Sadalsuud
Sadalsuud, «the luckiest of the lucky» for medieval Arab astrologers, rises in Aquarius, the water-bearer. It is a rare yellow supergiant of class G, thousands of times more luminous than the Sun, lying 537 light years away. Its light set out shortly before Columbus crossed the Atlantic and travels for centuries before reaching a human eye.
Where it is and when to see it
Sadalsuud lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is August, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it culminates about 33° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 44° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 62° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 84° N.
It is the brightest of the 99 stars of Aquarius in our catalogue, which makes it the best starting point for finding your way around the constellation.
The light you see today left it about 540 years ago.
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A public signature from a real person. The chosen name is a symbolic denomination within Stelvia, with no official standing or IAU recognition: the sky is not for sale and belongs to no one.
Astronomical data for Sadalsuud
- Constellation
- Aquarius
- Apparent magnitude
- 2.90
- Distance
- 537.4 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 322.890° · Dec -5.571°
- Catalogue
- HIP 106278 · HD 204867
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Aquarius
Aquarius has 99 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- SadalmelikAlpha Aquarii2.95
- SkatDelta Aquarii3.27
- Zeta 1 Aquarii3.65
- 88 Aquarii3.68
- Lambda Aquarii3.73
- AlbaliEpsilon Aquarii3.78
- SadachbiaGamma Aquarii3.86
- 98 Aquarii3.96