Star profile
Alpha Sculptor
Variable starWhat is Alpha Sculptor
α Sculptoris is a distant blue giant lying more than seven hundred light-years away, in a discreet constellation traced by Lacaille in the 18th century to honour the sculptor's workshop. Its brightness varies slightly, a sign of instabilities in its massive outer layers. Though it is the alpha star of its constellation, it shares the sky with a dark, clean background ideal for hunting very distant galaxies.
Where it is and when to see it
Alpha Sculptor lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is September, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it culminates about 9° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 20° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 85° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 61° N.
It is the brightest of the 33 stars of Sculptor 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 780 years ago.
It opens in your browser. Free, no account, nothing to install.
Leave your signature on Alpha Sculptor
Your name and a message go up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.
Without a lock, someone else can replace your signature. How the lock works
We'll ask for an email to confirm it's you, no password.
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 Alpha Sculptor
- Constellation
- Sculptor
- Apparent magnitude
- 4.30
- Distance
- 776.7 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 14.651° · Dec -29.357°
- Catalogue
- HIP 4577 · HD 5737
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Sculptor
Sculptor has 33 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- Beta Sculptor4.38
- Gamma Sculptor4.41
- Delta Sculptor4.59
- Eta Sculptor4.86
- Zeta Sculptor5.04
- Iota Sculptor5.18
- Theta Sculptor5.24
- Pi Sculptor5.25