White main-sequence star · Lyra
Vega
Also known as: α Lyrae (α Lyr), HIP 91262
mag 0.025 light-years
About
Vega (α Lyrae) is a white main-sequence star of magnitude 0.0 in Lyra, about 25 light-years away.
How to find it
- Vega 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 41° S.
- Star patterns: Summer Triangle.
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
- EyesA first-magnitude star, obvious even from a city.
- Binoculars (10×50)Dazzling, with its colour stronger than to the eye.
- 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 | Vega |
|---|---|
| Designation | α Lyrae (α Lyr) |
| Hipparcos number | HIP 91262 |
| Type | White main-sequence star |
| Spectral type | A0Vvar |
| Colour | WhiteB−V colour index 0.00 |
| Magnitude | 0.0The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 25 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 2001. |
| Proper motion | 0.35″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Lyra |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 18h 36m 56.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +38° 47′ 01″ |
More in Lyra
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →