Star profile
Acrab B
Beta 2 Scorpii · Scorpius
Hot blue starWhat is Acrab B
Acrab B is the secondary component of Acrab, a multiple system in the northern claw of Scorpius. She shines blue at 398 light-years, only seconds of arc from her main partner: a resolution only telescopes can split. The name Acrab comes from the Arabic «al-ʿaqrab», 'the scorpion', and the designation B identifies this fainter yet equally hot component.
Where it is and when to see it
Acrab B 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 culminates about 19° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 29° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 76° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 70° N.
It ranks no. 38 in brightness among the 104 stars of Scorpius in our catalogue. To find it, start from Antares, the brightest: it lies about 9° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 400 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 Acrab B
- Constellation
- Scorpius
- Apparent magnitude
- 4.90
- Distance
- 398.3 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 241.361° · Dec -19.802°
- Catalogue
- HIP 78821 · HD 144218
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Other stars in Scorpius
Scorpius has 104 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- AntaresAlpha Scorpii1.06
- ShaulaLambda Scorpii1.62
- SargasTheta Scorpii1.86
- GraffiasXi Scorpii4.84
- HIP 878464.85
- HIP 879364.88
- Psi Scorpii4.93
- HIP 786504.96