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AsteriaStar
Blue giant · Lyra

Sulafat

Gamma Lyrae

Knowledge graphGamma Lyr14 LyrHR 7178HD 176437

Scientific overview

Sulafat is a blue giant in the constellation Lyra (Lyrae), lying about 620.1 light-years from Earth.

Class B. Hot, blue-white stars. Massive and luminous, they often light up the regions where they form. Such stars have surface temperatures around 10,000–30,000 K and appear blue-white to the eye.

Physical properties

Spectral typeB9III
Luminosity classIII
Apparent magnitude3.25
Absolute magnitude-3.14
Luminosity (Sun = 1)1,578
Colour index (B−V)-0.049
Distance620.1 ly (190.11 pc)

Values are real catalogue data; fields without a reliable value are omitted, never estimated.

Precision measurements

Astrometry and astrophysics from SIMBAD and Gaia DR3 · Gaia DR3 2043823929421342848 · elevated RUWE

Parallax4.9656 ± 0.2366 masSIMBAD · measured
Distance202.5 pcGaia · estimated
Proper motion (RA)-2.98 mas/yrSIMBAD · measured
Proper motion (Dec)1.689 mas/yrSIMBAD · measured
Radial velocity-31.2 ± 0.2 km/sSIMBAD · measured
Spectral typeB9.5II-IIISIMBAD · catalogued
Right ascension (ICRS)284.7 degSIMBAD · measured
Declination (ICRS)32.6896 degSIMBAD · measured
Full field-level provenance
  • Parallax: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · plx_value · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
  • Distance: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia EDR3 · Bailer-Jones (2021) · external.gaiaedr3_distance · r_med_geo · row 2043823929421342848 · Bayesian estimate · retrieved 2026-07-11
  • Proper motion (RA): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · pmra · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
  • Proper motion (Dec): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · pmdec · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
  • Radial velocity: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · rvz_radvel · 2023MNRAS.519.5472M · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
  • Spectral type: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · sp_type · 2024A&A...690A.176N · catalogue identifier/value · retrieved 2026-07-11
  • Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
  • Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11

measured = direct catalogue value · estimated = Bayesian inference (Bailer-Jones distance) · modeled = model output (Gaia GSP-Phot). Fields a source did not provide are omitted, never invented.

Evolution

A blue giant is a hot, massive, highly luminous star that has evolved off the main sequence. Such stars are short-lived on cosmic timescales.

Location in the sky

Constellation
Lyra
Hemisphere
Northern
Best seen
Summer (N. evening sky)
RA / Dec
18.9824h / 32.6896°

Knowledge connections

  • In constellationLyra

Sources

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

  • HYG DatabaseHYG Database (Hipparcos + Yale Bright Star + Gliese), by D. Nash / astronexus

    Aggregated, openly-licensed star catalogue combining Hipparcos, the Yale Bright Star Catalogue, and the Gliese Catalogue of Nearby Stars.

  • HipparcosESA Hipparcos space astrometry mission

    High-precision parallax, magnitude, and position for ~118,000 stars.