When is the best time to observe Alshain?

Alshain is best observed from June through August, with peak visibility during July when it transits around midnight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is Alshain located in the sky?

Alshain lies in the constellation Aquila at right ascension 19h 55m and declination +06° 24′.

What telescope do I need to see Alshain?

At magnitude 3.7, Alshain is visible to the naked eye from dark skies, easy in any binoculars.

Alshain — Star in Aquila

HIP 98036; Beta Aquilae; 60 Aquilae

Magnitude 3.7^m Star Aquila (Aql) Visible

Star Map + List + Plan

About Alshain

Description

Alshain, Beta Aquilae, is a G-type subgiant of spectral class G9.5 IV about 46.6 light-years away — a relatively close bright star on the southern side of Altair in the constellation Aquila. At magnitude 3.71, Alshain shines with a soft yellow color. The star is a visual binary with a distant faint red-dwarf companion at 13 arcseconds.

Observing Tips

Alshain forms a tight visual pair with Tarazed (Gamma Aql) and Altair, bracketing Altair to the south and north. The trio makes one of the most recognizable straight-line asterisms in the summer sky. Binoculars show the wide red-dwarf companion; the color contrast with the yellow primary is subtle but lovely. Best observed June through October.

History

The name Alshain comes from the Persian "shāhīn-i tarāzū," meaning "the falcon's balance" — a reference to a pre-Islamic scale-and-falcon asterism. Together Alshain, Tarazed, and Altair were sometimes called the "three birds" or "flying falcon."

Fun Facts

Altair, Alshain, and Tarazed together form one of the most famous three-in-a-row asterisms, now often called the "Aquila three." They are easy to identify any summer night from temperate latitudes. The three stars are at very different distances (Altair 16.7 ly, Alshain 46.6 ly, Tarazed 395 ly) — a classic optical alignment.