Star profile

Polis

Mu Sagittarii · Sagittarius

Variable star

3D likeness based on its real data · class B · ~15,000 K

What is Polis

Polis burns in the bow of Sagittarius as a hot, young blue star of type B. Its name, of Coptic and ancient Greek origin, has survived almost by chance in modern catalogues. It is a subtle variable whose brightness shifts at a barely perceptible rhythm. Look toward it on a summer night and you will also be looking toward the dense heart of the Milky Way, where billions of suns blur into the luminous band that gave our entire galaxy its name.

Where it is and when to see it

Polis lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is June, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it culminates about 17° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 28° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 77° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere south of 69° N.

It ranks no. 13 in brightness among the 117 stars of Sagittarius in our catalogue. To find it, start from Kaus Australis, the brightest: it lies about 14° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 330,000 years ago.

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Astronomical data for Polis

Constellation: Sagittarius
Apparent magnitude: 3.84
Distance: 326200.0 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 273.441° · Dec -21.059°
Catalogue: HIP 89341 · HD 166937

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Other stars in Sagittarius

Sagittarius has 117 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 117 stars in Sagittarius