α Arae (alpha Arae)
α Arae is a variable and double main-sequence star in the constellation of Ara.
α Arae visual magnitude is 2.95. Thanks to its high brightness, α Arae is clearly visible when observed from locations with dark skies, and should be also quite easily visible from light polluted areas.
The proper motion of α Arae is -0.031 arcsec per year in Right Ascension and -0.07 arcsec per year in Declination and the associated displacement for the next 10000 years is represented with the red arrow.
Key facts about α Arae
α Arae (alpha Arae) is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom.
Altitude: -34.1°
Azimuth: 230.8°
Direction: South-West
Celestial coordinates and finder chart of α Arae
α Arae is situated south of the celestial equator, as such, it is more easily visible from the southern hemisphere. Celestial coordinates for the J2000 equinox as well as galactic coordinates of α Arae are provided in the following table:
The simplified sky map below shows the position of α Arae in the sky:
Visibility of α Arae from your location
Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
α Arae (alpha Arae) is currently not visible from Greenwich, United Kingdom
Distance of α Arae from the Sun and relative movement
α Arae is distant 242.20 light years from the Sun
Spectral properties of α Arae
α Arae belongs to spectral class B2 and has a luminosity class of V corresponding to a main-sequence star.
The red dot in the diagram below shows where α Arae is situated in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.
α Arae star system properties
α Arae is a visual double star which can be observed only with the help of very large telescopes. The table below shows key information about the α Arae double sysyem: