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Shaula

Lambda Scorpii, 35 Scorpii

Proper NameShaula
Bayer DesignationLambda Scorpii
Flamsteed Number35 Scorpii
HR (BSC)6527
HD158926
ConstellationScorpius
Right Ascension17h 33m 37s
Declination-37° 6' 14"
Distance571 light years
175 parsecs
MagnitudeApparent: +1.6
Absolute: -4.6
Spectral ClassB2IV blue subgiant
Optimum VisibilityJune / July
NotesThe primary star of this triple system has an intensely hot core, which drives a process of pulsation that varies the star's magnitude over a period of a little over five hours. The more massive of its two companions is also a B-type star, some ten times more massive than the Sun, while the third star in the system is a much less massive body (though still twice the Sun's mass) in a close orbit around the primary.

The star that marks the end of the Scorpion's stinger, Shaula is (despite its 'Lambda' designation) the second brightest of Scorpius' stars after Antares. Its brightness is variable, and while it is conventionally the twenty-sixth brightest star in the sky, it can at times exceed the magnitude of Bellatrix in Orion.

Shaula belongs to an apparent pair of stars at the end of Scorpius' tail, with nearby Lesath (or Upsilon Scorpii) shining almost as brightly. Together the two stars are sometimes referred to as the 'Cat's Eyes'. Imagery provided by Aladin sky atlas

The Shaula system consists of two stellar objects orbiting the primary blue subgiant star. One of these companions is another blue star following a long orbit taking more than1,000 days to complete. The other is a T Tauri star; a star extremely early in its formation having barely progressed past its protostar stage. Indeed the entire system is extremely young by stellar standards, and even the primary is probably no more than fifteen million years old (or about 0.3% of the age of the Sun). Shaula's variable magnitude is in part explained by its triple structure, but in addition the primary star is a Beta Cephei pulsating variable, whose intrinsic luminosity shows rapid changes of its own.

The distance of Shaula from the Sun has proved difficult to calculate, perhaps in part due to its triple structure, with estimated distances varying from about 240 light years out to 700 light years or more. The most accurate available figure for its distance is probably some 365 light years.

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