Home > Stars > Blue Stars > Vega

Vega

VEGA (ALPHA (α) LYRAE)
BLUE STAR

Right Ascension:
18h 36m 56s

Best Seen:
6/15 - 12/1

Declination:
38º 47' 01"

Magnitude:
0.03

Computer File:
vega

Constellation:
Lyra

Actual

Compared to Sun

Distance

25.3 l.y.

--

Actual Brightness

--

46

Surface Temperature

18,000 ºF

1.8

Diameter

1.8 million miles

2.1

Mass

--

3

Surface Gravity

--

--

Surface Composition (by mass)

74% hydrogen 24% helium 2% everything else

same

Spectral Type

A0 V

G2 V

Density (gram/cubic cm)

--

--

WHAT TO LOOK FOR THROUGH THE TELESCOPE:

  1. Recommended eyepiece: 24mm or 40 mm.

  2. When people look through the telescope a bright bluish point of light should be seen.

VEGA INFORMATION:

  1. Vega is the brightest member of the summer triangle, and is the 3rd brightest star in the Northern Hemisphere’s night sky (5th brightest star when including Southern Hemisphere bright stars).

  2. It was the pole star about 12,000 years ago at a distance of about 4.5 degrees from the actual pole. It will be the pole again in another 12,000 years.

  3. The sun and solar system are moving toward Vega at 12 miles per second. It would take 450,000 years to get there but since Vega is also moving, it will no longer be there.

  4. Vega was the first star to be photographed. The 100 second exposure was taken on July 16-17, 1850 at Harvard Observatory.

  5. Vega was also the first star to have a car named after it: the Chevrolet Vega.

  6. Vega is surrounded by a circumstellar dust disk, which could be a stage in planet formation.

Item
Updated Notes

Coordinates 07-22-2002
SIMBAD

Magnitude
07-22-2002
with Scott’s The Flamsteed Collection

Distance
07-22-2002
The Flamsteed Collection

Actual Brightness
07-22-2002
The Flamsteed Collection

Surface Temperature 07-22-2002
assume A type’s top temp of 10,000 K

Diameter
07-22-2002
with assumed temp of 10,000K

Mass

Surface Gravity

Surface Composition 01-06-2003
OK for all stars

Spectral Type

Other Information
07-22-2002

07-22-2002

07-22-2002

07-22-2002
1. previous: surface gravity 15.5 times sun – BUT how know? 2. previous: density 0.04 times sun – BUT how know? 3. updated Vega brightness rank with Hipparcos data 4. Vega Information items #2-4 are unchanged – assumed them to be correct

Composition
7/30/13 Changed to: 74/24/2