Star profile

Sheliak

Beta Lyrae · Lyra

Variable star

3D likeness based on its real data · class A · ~8,500 K

What is Sheliak

Sheliak, beta Lyrae, is an eclipsing variable 962 light-years away: two stars so close that they transfer matter and obscure one another with clockwork regularity. Her name comes from the Arabic «al-shilyāq», 'the harp', one of the few musical references that survive in the stellar catalogue. Her light departed around the year 1064, almost when the Crab supernova was illuminating Chinese skies.

Where it is and when to see it

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

From London it culminates about 72° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 83° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 23° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 57° S.

It ranks no. 3 in brightness among the 37 stars of Lyra in our catalogue. To find it, start from Vega, the brightest: it lies about 6° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 960 years ago.

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Astronomical data for Sheliak

Constellation: Lyra
Apparent magnitude: 3.52
Distance: 962.2 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 282.520° · Dec 33.363°
Catalogue: HIP 92420 · HD 174638

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Other stars in Lyra

Lyra has 37 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 37 stars in Lyra