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A Complete Guide to the Solar System and the Night Sky
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public Observing fromLocation: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
SunriseRise: 6:04  
clear_day Transit: 12:06  
SunsetSet: 18:09
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All Constellations » Scorpius » 

Shaula - λ Scorpii (lambda Scorpii)

Altitude: -14.1°   Azimuth: 227.0°   Direction: South-West

Shaula, also designated as λ Scorpii (lambda Scorpii), is a variable and multiple sub-giant star in the constellation of Scorpius.

Shaula visual magnitude is 1.63, making it the 24th brightest star in the sky. Thanks to its high brightness, Shaula 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 Shaula is -0.001 arcsec per year in Right Ascension and -0.029 arcsec per year in Declination and the associated displacement for the next 10000 years is represented with the red arrow.

Image of Shaula - λ Scorpii (lambda Scorpii) star
DSS2 image of Shaula. The red arrow shows the motion of Shaula during the next 10000 years (-0.17 arcmin in Right Ascension and -4.83 arcmin in declination);

Key facts about Shaula

1.63
Sub-giant

Shaula - λ Scorpii (lambda Scorpii) is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt.

Altitude: -14.1°
Azimuth: 227.0°
Direction: South-West

Celestial coordinates and finder chart of Shaula

Shaula 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 Shaula are provided in the following table:

17h 33m 36s
-37° 06’ 14”
351.74°
-2.21°
Scorpius

The simplified sky map below shows the position of Shaula in the sky:

Finder chart Shaula - λ Scorpii (lambda Scorpii) star
Simplified finder chart for Shaula - λ Scorpii (lambda Scorpii).

Visibility of Shaula from your location

Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London

Today's Shaula - λ Scorpii (lambda Scorpii) rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):

Azimuth: 127.1°
Max altitude: 1.4°
Azimuth: 232.9°

Distance of Shaula from the Sun and relative movement

Shaula is distant 702.59 light years from the Sun and it is moving towards the Sun at the speed of 3 kilometers per second.

215.52 pc
702.59 ly
-3 km/s
-0.001 arcsec/year
-0.029 arcsec/year

Spectral properties of Shaula

Shaula belongs to spectral class B2 and has a luminosity class of IV corresponding to a sub-giant star.

-5.04
B2IV
14087K

The red dot in the diagram below shows where Shaula is situated in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.

HR Diagram
H-R diagram showing the position of Shaula. Attribution: Richard Powell / CC BY-SA

Shaula star system properties

Shaula 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 Shaula double sysyem:

1.63
11.93
10.3
94.9 arcsec

Alternative designations of Shaula

Shaula
λ Scorpii
(lambda Scorpii)
SAO208954
SAO208954