Star profile
Lambda Cassiopeiae
Hot blue starWhat is Lambda Cassiopeiae
λ Cassiopeiae is a hot blue star set into the luminous W of Cassiopeia, one of the most recognisable figures of the northern hemisphere. It belongs to a constellation that never sets for much of Europe, fixed in the sky like an overturned throne around the pole. Its crisp flame merges with the crown of the vain queen whom Greek myth condemned to spin eternally upside down.
Where it is and when to see it
Lambda Cassiopeiae lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is October, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it never sets and culminates about 87° up.
- From New York it never sets and culminates about 76° up.
- From Sydney it culminates about 2° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere north of 35° S.
It ranks no. 18 in brightness among the 93 stars of Cassiopeia in our catalogue. To find it, start from Cih, the brightest: it lies about 7° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 380 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 Lambda Cassiopeiae
- Constellation
- Cassiopeia
- Apparent magnitude
- 4.74
- Distance
- 377.5 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 7.943° · Dec 54.522°
- Catalogue
- HIP 2505 · HD 2772
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Cassiopeia
Cassiopeia has 93 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- CihGamma Cassiopeiae2.15
- SchedarAlpha Cassiopeiae2.24
- CaphBeta Cassiopeiae2.28
- CastulaUpsilon 2 Cassiopeiae4.62
- Chi Cassiopeiae4.68
- Psi Cassiopeiae4.72
- Xi Cassiopeiae4.80
- HIP 41514.80