When is the best time to observe Markab?

Markab is best observed from August through October, with peak visibility during September when it transits around midnight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is Markab located in the sky?

Markab lies in the constellation Pegaso at right ascension 23h 05m and declination +15° 12′.

What telescope do I need to see Markab?

At magnitude 2.5, Markab is visible to the naked eye under most conditions.

Markab — Estrella en Pegaso

Alpha Peg

Magnitud 2.5^m Star Pegaso (Peg) Visible

Mapa Estelar + Lista + Plan

Acerca de Markab

Descripción

Markab is the brightest star at the southwest corner of the Gran Cuadrado de Pegaso, a blue-white star of tipo espectral B9III at magnitude 2.49. Located a unos 133 años luz de la Tierra, Markab has a luminosity roughly 200 veces la solar and a temperatura superficial of about 10,000 K. It is a slightly evolved star that has just left the secuencia principal.

Consejos de Observación

Markab anchors the southwestern corner of the Gran Cuadrado de Pegaso, one of the most recognizable asterisms in the otono sky. The Square is easy to find as a large, almost empty quadrilateral high in the sky during otono por la noche. Markab is the faintest of the four corner stars. Mejor observación from September through January.

Historia

The name Markab comes from the Arabic 'markab,' meaning 'the saddle' of the horse. The Gran Cuadrado de Pegaso has been used as a test of sky darkness — the number of stars visible inside the Square with the simple vista indicates the limiting magnitude and transparency of the sky.

Datos Curiosos

The Gran Cuadrado de Pegaso contains remarkably few bright stars within its boundaries — under good skies, only about 13 stars are visible inside it to the simple vista, making it a classic sky-quality test. Markab is sometimes confused with Scheat (Beta Peg), which is the star at the opposite corner.