Map of the Universe

Antares

Star · Binary star in the constellation Scorpius

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Antares
Picture: Scorpius_constellation_map.png: Torsten Bronger, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

About Antares

Antares is about 553.75 light-years from the Sun, so the light we see from it left about 553.75 years ago.

At apparent magnitude 1.06 it can be seen with the naked eye from a dark site.

It gives out 9.45e+03 times as much light as the Sun.

The map lists it as a star and shows it among the stars around the Sun, drawn on the plane of the Milky Way.

Key numbers

Distance553.75 light-years (169.78 pc)
Spectral typeM1Ib + B2.5V
Apparent magnitude1.06
Absolute magnitude-5.09
Luminosity9.45e+03 × the Sun
ConstellationSco

Where it is

Its place in the universe, from the inside out: Solar neighbourhood › Orion–Cygnus Arm (Local Arm) › Milky Way › Local Group › Virgo Supercluster › Laniakea Supercluster › Observable universe.

Zoom out to see it in context: 1,000 light-years, a view about 2,400 light-years across.

From Wikipedia

Antares is the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius. It has the Bayer designation α Scorpii, which is Latinised to Alpha Scorpii. Often referred to as "the heart of the scorpion", Antares is flanked by σ Scorpii and τ Scorpii near the center of the constellation.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Antares, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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