White main-sequence star · Lyra
Sheliak
Also known as: β Lyrae (β Lyr), HIP 92420
mag 3.5960 light-years
About
Sheliak (β Lyrae) is a white main-sequence star of magnitude 3.5 in Lyra, about 960 light-years away.
How to find it
- Sheliak is in the constellation Lyra.
- Best evenings: around mid-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 47° 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 | Sheliak |
|---|---|
| Designation | β Lyrae (β Lyr) |
| Hipparcos number | HIP 92420 |
| Type | White main-sequence star |
| Spectral type | A8:V comp SB |
| Colour | WhiteB−V colour index 0.00 |
| Magnitude | 3.5The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 960 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1060. |
| Proper motion | 0.005″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Lyra |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 18h 50m 04.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +33° 21′ 46″ |
More in Lyra
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →