Star profile

Alya

Theta 1 Serpens · Serpens

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

What is Alya

Alya is a white class-A star lying 154.7 light-years away in Serpens Cauda, the tail of the celestial reptile split in two by the body of Ophiuchus. Its name comes from the Arabic «al-alyat», the fat tail of a sheep, a startlingly culinary expression that reminds us how everyday the language of medieval astronomers could be. It forms a visual pair with Alya B in a discreet corner of the summer sky, nearly invisible to modern urban eyes.

Where it is and when to see it

Alya 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 43° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 54° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 52° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 86° S.

It ranks no. 15 in brightness among the 65 stars of Serpens in our catalogue. To find it, start from Unukalhai, the brightest: it lies about 48° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 150 years ago.

Find it on the sky map

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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 Alya

Constellation: Serpens
Apparent magnitude: 4.62
Distance: 154.7 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 284.055° · Dec 4.204°
Catalogue: HIP 92946 · HD 175638

A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.

Other stars in Serpens

Serpens has 65 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 65 stars in Serpens