When is the best time to observe Pipirima?

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

Where is Pipirima located in the sky?

Pipirima lies in the constellation Scorpius at right ascension 16h 52m and declination -38° 01′.

What telescope do I need to see Pipirima?

At magnitude 3.6, Pipirima is visible to the naked eye from dark skies, easy in any binoculars.

Pipirima — Star in Scorpius

HIP 82545; Mu Scorpii

Magnitude 3.6^m Star Scorpius (Sco) Visible

Star Map + List + Plan

About Pipirima

Description

Pipirima, Mu2 Scorpii, is a B-type subgiant of spectral class B2 IV about 474 light-years away, the southern companion of the naked-eye pair with Xamidimura. Pipirima shines at magnitude 3.57 and is roughly 9 solar masses. It is a young, hot main-sequence member of the Upper Centaurus-Lupus association. No eclipse variability has been detected in Pipirima itself — it is apparently a single B-type star.

Observing Tips

Pipirima is the fainter southern component of the naked-eye pair with Xamidimura, about 0.3 degrees apart. Binoculars clearly show them as an unmistakable bright double, with both components showing blue-white colors. Best observed from the southern hemisphere in May through September.

History

Pipirima takes its name from a Tupi legend of Brazilian indigenous astronomy — twin brothers named Pipirima who were placed in the sky as stars. The IAU adopted the name in 2017. Like its partner Xamidimura, Pipirima's name celebrates astronomical traditions outside the Greek-Arabic mainstream.

Fun Facts

The Mu1/Mu2 Sco optical pair is one of the best naked-eye demonstrations of the fact that bright "double stars" in the sky are often chance line-of-sight pairings rather than physical systems. The two stars differ by only about 20 light-years in distance, which at almost 500 light-years away is indistinguishable by eye.