Star profile
Alpha Musca
Variable starWhat is Alpha Musca
α Muscae is the brightest star of the Fly, a tiny southern constellation often overlooked. A blue subgiant lying about 315 light-years away, it is nine times more massive than the Sun and pulses gently every 2.17 hours, like an overheated heart. That rhythm —imperceptible to the naked eye— places it among the Beta Cephei variables, whose light is governed by iron trapped deep inside.
Where it is and when to see it
Alpha Musca lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is May, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it never rises above the horizon.
- From New York it never rises above the horizon.
- From Sydney it never sets and culminates about 55° up.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 21° N.
It is the brightest of the 31 stars of Musca 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 320 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 Alpha Musca
- Constellation
- Musca
- Apparent magnitude
- 2.69
- Distance
- 315.5 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 189.296° · Dec -69.136°
- Catalogue
- HIP 61585 · HD 109668
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Musca
Musca has 31 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- Beta Musca3.04
- Delta Musca3.61
- Lambda Musca3.63
- Gamma Musca3.84
- Epsilon Musca4.06
- Mu Musca4.75
- Eta Musca4.79
- HIP 648204.86