When is the best time to observe Beta Arae?

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

Where is Beta Arae located in the sky?

Beta Arae lies in the constellation Ara at right ascension 17h 25m and declination -55° 32′.

What telescope do I need to see Beta Arae?

At magnitude 2.9, Beta Arae is visible to the naked eye from dark skies, easy in any binoculars.

Beta Arae — Star in Ara

Magnitude 2.9^m Star Ara Visible

Star Map + List + Plan

About Beta Ara

Description

Beta Arae is an orange supergiant of spectral type K3Ib at magnitude 2.85 in the constellation Ara (the Altar). Located roughly 600 light-years from Earth, it is one of the most luminous stars in its constellation with a luminosity about 4,600 times solar. Its cool surface temperature of about 4,200 K gives it a distinctly orange hue.

Observing Tips

Beta Ara lies in the small southern constellation Ara, just south of the Scorpion's tail. It appears as a warm orange star and is the brightest member of the constellation's northern region. Only visible from the southern hemisphere and tropical latitudes. Best observed from June through August when Ara is highest in the southern sky.

History

Ara (the Altar) is one of the 48 original Ptolemaic constellations, representing the altar on which the Greek gods swore allegiance before their war against the Titans. Beta Arae has no traditional proper name. The constellation is small and lies in a rich area of the southern Milky Way.

Fun Facts

As a K-type supergiant, Beta Ara is a fairly rare type of bright star. Supergiants of this spectral class are in a brief evolutionary phase between the main sequence and their eventual fate as supernovae, making Beta Ara a star living on borrowed time astronomically speaking.