- Stars with a name
- Unukalhai
Unukalhai
α Serpentis
Unukalhai is an orange giant, in the constellation Serpens. The light you see from it tonight left it around 1952.
Where to find it
From mid-northern latitudes, such as New York, Rome or Tokyo, it is best seen in the evening sky in May, June, July, and August.
Visible to the naked eye away from the brightest lights. Apparent magnitude 2.63.
What it’s like
It gives off 40 times as much light as the Sun.
Its surface is at about 4,400 degrees.
It is 74.0 light years away: 700 trillion kilometres.
It is the star of people born around 1952: the light that left it then is reaching Earth now.