White subgiant · Libra
Zubenelgenubi
Also known as: α² Librae (α² Lib), HIP 72622
mag 2.876 light-years
About
Zubenelgenubi (α² Librae) is a white subgiant of magnitude 2.8 in Libra, about 76 light-years away.
How to find it
- Zubenelgenubi is in the constellation Libra.
- Best evenings: around mid-June 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 south of 64° N.
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
- EyesEasy, even from town.
- 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 | Zubenelgenubi |
|---|---|
| Designation | α² Librae (α² Lib) |
| Hipparcos number | HIP 72622 |
| Type | White subgiant |
| Spectral type | A3IV |
| Colour | Yellowish whiteB−V colour index 0.15 |
| Magnitude | 2.8The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 76 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1950. |
| Proper motion | 0.13″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Libra |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 14h 50m 52.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | −16° 02′ 30″ |
More in Libra
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →