- Stars with a name
- Algol
Algol
β Persei
Algol is a very hot blue star, in the constellation Perseus. The light you see from it tonight left it around 1936.
Where to find it
From mid-northern latitudes, such as New York, Rome or Tokyo, it is best seen in the evening sky in January, February, September, October, November, and December.
Bright enough to see even from a city. Apparent magnitude 2.09.
What it’s like
It gives off 97 times as much light as the Sun.
Its surface is at about 10,200 degrees.
It is 89.9 light years away: 851 trillion kilometres.
It is the star of people born around 1936: the light that left it then is reaching Earth now.