supergiant · B0Ia
Alnilam
Alnilam is a blue supergiant (spectral type B0Ia) about 2,000 light-years away. With an apparent magnitude of 1.69 it is a very bright, conspicuous star.
The middle star of Orion's Belt. Its distance is uncertain.
Its light output is roughly 67,800 times that of the Sun (a rough estimate in visible light, calculated from brightness and distance).
From Germany (52° N) it rises and sets; it is best seen in the evening in December.
Key facts
- Distance
- ≈ 2,000 light-years
- Spectral type
- B0Ia (supergiant)
- Colour
- Blue
- Apparent magnitude
- 1.69 mag
- Luminosity
- ≈ 67,800 × Sun
- Position
- Right ascension 5h 36m, declination -1.2°
More well-known stars
Data: Hipparcos / HYG catalogue (CC BY-SA 4.0). Luminosity and visibility are calculated estimates.