Acrab is a hot blue-white multiple star in the head of Scorpius whose Arabic name means the scorpion, a pair a small telescope splits easily.
At a glance
| type | blue-white star (class B) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 404 light-years (124 pc) |
| its light left it | 404 years ago |
| luminosity | 15,600 × the Sun |
| radius | 5.46 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 27,600 K |
| constellation | Scorpius (Scorpion) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Acrab
Acrab is a blue-white star of class B, vastly more luminous than the Sun. A small telescope shows it as two stars, and each of those has close companions of its own, making it a system of several hot young stars.
Its name comes from the Arabic for the scorpion, the whole figure given to one star; it is also known as Graffias. It lies close to the ecliptic, so the Moon regularly passes in front of it, and it belongs, like Dschubba, Fang and Iklil, to the Scorpius–Centaurus association.
What you see in the piece
From Earth Acrab marks the upper end of the scorpion’s head. Fly out and it holds roughly together with Dschubba, Fang and Iklil, young stars of one family at broadly similar distances.
Questions
How far away is Acrab?
Acrab is 404 light-years (124 pc) from the Sun; its light left it 404 years ago.