Vega - α Lyrae (alpha Lyrae)
Vega, also designated as α Lyrae (alpha Lyrae), is a variable and multiple hypergiant star in the constellation of Lyra.
Vega visual magnitude is 0.03, making it the 5th brightest star in the sky. Thanks to its high brightness, Vega is clearly visible when observed from locations with dark skyes, and should be also quite easily visible from light polluted areas.
The table below summarizes the key facts about Vega:
Celestial coordinates and finder chart of Vega
Vega is situated north of the celestial equator, as such, it is more easily visible from the northern hemisphere. Celestial coordinates for the J2000 equinox as well as galactic coordinates of Vega are provided in the following table:
The simplified sky map below shows the position of Vega in the sky:
Visibility of Vega from your location
Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom [change]
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
Vega - α Lyrae (alpha Lyrae) is circumpolar and transits at 23:45 UTC (altitude: 77.3°)
Digitized Sky Survey image of Vega
The image below is a photograph of Vega from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2 - see the credits section) taken in the red channel. The area of sky represented in the image is 0.5x0.5 degrees (30x30 arcmins). The proper motion of Vega is 0.202 arcsec per year in Right Ascension and 0.286 arcsec per year in Declination and the associated displacement for the next 1000 years is represented with the red arrow.
Distance of Vega from the Sun and relative movement
Vega is distant 25.29 light years from the Sun and it is moving towards the Sun at the speed of 14 kilometers per second.
Spectral properties of Vega
Vega belongs to spectral class A0 and has a luminosity class of V corresponding to a hypergiant star.
The red dot in the diagram below shows where Vega is situated in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.
Vega star system properties
Vega 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 Vega double sysyem: