About Saiph
Description
Saiph marks the southeastern foot of Orion and is a blue supergiant of spectral type B0.5Ia at magnitude 2.06. Despite appearing similar in brightness to Rigel (Orion's other foot), Saiph is actually much farther away — roughly 650 light-years — and is intrinsically very luminous, radiating about 56,000 times the Sun's energy. Its surface temperature of around 26,000 K makes it one of the hottest stars visible to the naked eye, but most of its radiation is in the ultraviolet.
Observing Tips
Easy to locate as the lower-left star of Orion's main quadrilateral, opposite Betelgeuse. Saiph appears blue-white but slightly fainter than Rigel in the opposite corner. It is visible from virtually all inhabited latitudes. Best observed from December through March when Orion dominates the evening sky. Compare Saiph's blue-white color with Betelgeuse's reddish orange for a striking contrast.
History
The name Saiph comes from the Arabic 'saif al-jabbar,' meaning 'the sword of the giant.' However, modern constellation figures place Saiph at Orion's knee or foot rather than near his sword. The star's position in Orion has made it a navigation reference point for thousands of years across many cultures.
Fun Facts
Saiph appears similar in brightness to Rigel, but the two could hardly be more different intrinsically. Saiph is hotter than Rigel but appears fainter because it radiates more of its energy as invisible ultraviolet light. If our eyes could see UV, Saiph would be the brightest star in Orion.
Observe
1Physical Properties
2Position & Identifiers
3How easy to spot?
| Equipment | Bortle 3 | Bortle 4 | Bortle 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naked eye Naked eye | Easy | Easy | Easy |
| 50 mm finder 50mm finder | Easy | Easy | Easy |
| 150 mm telescope 150mm scope | Easy | Easy | Easy |
Bortle 3 = rural · 4 = outer suburbs · 5 = suburbs
4Visibility
Set a location in User Settings to see visibility data.
5Survey Image
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Explore
7
Size Comparison
8
Compare Stars
9
Spectral Classification
10
Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
11
Stellar Lifecycle
12
Blackbody Spectrum
13
Stellar Absorption Spectrum
Simulated absorption spectrum based on spectral type. Hover over lines to identify elements.
14
Stellar Fusion
Discover
15Stellar Notes
16
Light Travel Time Machine
17
Relativistic Travel
Nearby in the Sky
Other targets within a few degrees — pan your scope a little and keep exploring.
Visibility scores assume a 150 mm Newton at Bortle 4.
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