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Altair
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Star Altair

White-Blue star Altair is located 17 light years away from the Sun. It is a single star of spectral class A7 V, that has 179 % of solar mass. For now, there are no known exoplanets in this star system.
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Sun distance
17 light years
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Altair

White-Blue star, Delta Scuti variable
Spectral class: A7 V

Location +

Ascension iconRight ascension: 19h 50m 47.000s
Declination iconDeclination: 8° 52' 5.960'' (equatorial region)
Parallax iconParallax: 194.950
Distance iconSun distance: 16.700 ly | 5.1 pc
Star position
The position of a star tells us where it appears in the sky, similar to how we use coordinates like latitude and longitude on Earth. In astronomy, the three main coordinates are right ascension, declination and distance. .. icon More about Star position in StellarGuide

Basic characteristic

icon weight
Mass: 179 % M Sun
| 1875 M Jupiter
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Star mass
Mass of the star Altair is 1.79 solar masses.

The mass of a star is the total amount of matter it contains. It is one of the most important properties of a star, as it determines almost everything about how the star lives, changes, and dies. In astronomy, star mass is usually measured in solar masses (M☉) — where 1 solar mass is equal to the mass of our Sun... icon More about Star mass in StellarGuide
radius icon
Size: 183 % R Sun
| 18.2 R Jupiter
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Star size
Radius of the star Altair is 1.83 solar radii.

The size of a star refers to its radius — the distance from its center to its surface. Star size is usually measured in solar radii (R☉), where 1 solar radius equals approximately 696,000 kilometers. Depending on their type and life stage, stars can be much smaller or larger than the Sun... icon More about Star size in StellarGuide
temperature icon
Temperature: 7377 K | 1.28 T Sun
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Star temperature
Surface temperature of Altair is 7377 K, which is 128 % of the temperature on the surface of the Sun.

The temperature of a star refers to the temperature at its surface, also called the photosphere. It is measured in kelvins (K), the standard unit for temperature in astronomy. A star’s temperature tells us a lot about its physical properties and where it stands in its evolutionary stage... icon More about Star temperature in StellarGuide
time icon
Age: 1.2 billions years | 0.26 Sun
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Star age
Star Altair is 1.2 billion years old, which is about 0.26 of the Sun's age.

The age of a star tells us how long it has been shining since it formed. Knowing a star’s age helps astronomers understand its life stage, how it has changed over time, and what will happen to it in the future... icon More about Star age in StellarGuide
luminosity icon
Luminosity: 10.6 L Sun
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Star luminosity
Luminosity is the total amount of energy a star gives off every second. Think of it as the star’s true brightness — not just how bright it looks from Earth. This is important because some stars may appear dim simply because they are far away, not because they’re actually faint... icon More about Star luminosity in StellarGuide

Photometry

Magnitude iconApparent magnitude (V): 0.8
Magnitude iconAbsolute magnitude (V): 2.2
Absolute stellar magnitude in different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum from infrared (K band) to ultraviolet (U band).
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
K
2.1
H
1.6
J
1.2
Grp
0.8
I
0.8
G
0.6
V
0.5
Gbp
0.5
B
0.4
U
0.3
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Altair system structure

 Altair

More about Altair

Nearby star Altair is a main sequence star that fuses hydrogen atoms into helium. It is is approximately 83 % bigger than the Sun and temperature on its surface is around 7377 K (7104 °C), which is about 128 % of Sun's temperature.
      a pulsating star belonging to the Delta Scuti category. These stars expand and contract with a period in mere hours.  Altair can be found in northern celestial hemisphere, and it is possible to see it with naked eye. The star is easily observable from Northern America, Europe and Asia. 

      Altair is a pulsating star belonging to the Delta Scuti category. These stars expand and contract with a period in mere hours.
Other designations of this star
Alpha Aquilae, α Aquilae, Gliese 768, 53 Aquilae, 53 Aql, BD+08°4236, FK5 745, GCTP 4665.00, Gliese 768, HD 187642, HIP 97649, HR 7557, LFT 1499, LHS 3490, LTT 15795, NLTT 48314, SAO 125122, WDS 19508+0852A, alf Aql
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External sources
simbad icon
Simbad database (* alf Aql)
Astronomical database SIMBAD (the Set of Identifications, Measurements and Bibliography for Astronomical Data)

Frequently Asked Questions

How far is the Altair system from the Sun?

The Altair system is 17 light years or 5.1 parsecs from the Sun.

What galaxy is the Altair star in?

The Altair is in the Milky Way galaxy just like the Sun.

How many stars are in the Altair system?

The Altair is a single star, there are no other known stars in the system.

What type of star is the Altair?

The star Altair is a White-Blue star star.

What temperature is star Altair?

The star Altair has an effective temperature of 7377 K. Find out more about the temperature of stars in Stellar guide
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