Yellow bright giant · Sagitta
Sham
Also known as: α Sagittae (α Sge), HIP 96757
mag 4.4430 light-years
About
Sham (α Sagittae) is a yellow bright giant of magnitude 4.4 in Sagitta, about 430 light-years away.
How to find it
- Sham is in the constellation Sagitta.
- Best evenings: around late August it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from north of 62° S.
When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.
What you will see
- EyesVisible from the suburbs on a clear night, but lost in bright city skies.
- Binoculars (10×50)A sharp point; binoculars bring out its colour and the fainter stars around it.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)Still a point of light at any magnification — stars are too far away to show a disc. Low in the sky, bright stars twinkle and flash colours.
Stars look the same in any instrument: brighter and sharper, but never bigger.
Facts
| Proper name | Sham |
|---|---|
| Designation | α Sagittae (α Sge) |
| Hipparcos number | HIP 96757 |
| Type | Yellow bright giant |
| Spectral type | G0II |
| Colour | YellowB−V colour index 0.78 |
| Magnitude | 4.4The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 430 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1600. |
| Proper motion | 0.025″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Sagitta |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 19h 40m 05.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +18° 00′ 50″ |
More in Sagitta
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →