White main-sequence star · Lacerta
α Lacertae
Also known as: α Lac, HIP 111169
mag 3.8100 light-years
About
α Lacertae is a white main-sequence star of magnitude 3.8 in Lacerta, about 100 light-years away.
How to find it
- α Lacertae is in the constellation Lacerta.
- Best evenings: around mid-October 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 30° 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
| Designation | α Lacertae (α Lac) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 111169 |
| Type | White main-sequence star |
| Spectral type | A1V |
| Colour | WhiteB−V colour index 0.03 |
| Magnitude | 3.8The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 100 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1920. |
| Proper motion | 0.14″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Lacerta |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 22h 31m 17.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | +50° 16′ 57″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →