supergiant · B0.5Ia

Saiph

Saiph is a blue supergiant (spectral type B0.5Ia) about 650 light-years away. With an apparent magnitude of 2.07 it is easy to see even from a city.

The south-eastern corner star of Orion. The Arabic name means "sword".

Its light output is roughly 5,000 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.

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Key facts

Distance
≈ 650 light-years
Spectral type
B0.5Ia (supergiant)
Colour
Blue
Apparent magnitude
2.07 mag
Luminosity
≈ 5,000 × Sun
Position
Right ascension 5h 48m, declination -9.7°

More well-known stars

Data: Hipparcos / HYG catalogue (CC BY-SA 4.0). Luminosity and visibility are calculated estimates.