About Xamidimura
Description
Xamidimura, Mu1 Scorpii, is a B-type giant of spectral class B1.5 IV about 490 light-years away — a massive, hot, young star in the dense stellar associations of Scorpius-Centaurus. It pairs with Pipirima (Mu2 Sco) to form a naked-eye double. Xamidimura itself is an eclipsing binary, shedding 0.3 magnitudes over a 1.4-day period as a companion B-star transits across its disk. Total combined mass for Xamidimura's binary pair is about 16 solar masses.
Observing Tips
Xamidimura and Pipirima form a bright naked-eye pair south of the main Scorpius outline, about 0.3 degrees apart. The two blue-white stars together make a conspicuous double visible even from moderately light-polluted skies. Xamidimura is slightly the brighter of the two. Best observed in the southern hemisphere May through September; challenging from high northern latitudes.
History
The name Xamidimura comes from the Khoekhoe language of southern Africa, meaning "the eyes of the lion" — paired with Pipirima's Tupi origin, the two stars bear rare non-Eurasian IAU-recognized names. The IAU adopted both names in 2017, in a deliberate effort to include indigenous astronomical traditions in the official nomenclature.
Fun Facts
Xamidimura's ~1.4-day eclipsing cycle was only confirmed with space-based precision photometry in the 2000s — from the ground, the 0.3-magnitude eclipse is hard to separate from atmospheric variations. The pair Mu1/Mu2 Sco is physically unrelated (at 490 and 470 light-years their orbits are independent); they are an optical double, not a gravitationally bound system.
Observe
1Physical Properties
2Position & Identifiers
3How easy to spot?
| Equipment | Bortle 3 | Bortle 4 | Bortle 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naked eye Naked eye | Easy | Easy | Medium+ |
| 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
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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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