SHAULA & LESATH

THE SCORPION'S STING

 (Image Centred at ra 17h:33m / dec -37:12)

July 2015 - Complejo La Aldea, San Luis, Argentina

DATA

Type: Star Systems

Apparent Magnitude: Shaula 1.62 - 1.68 Lesath 2.4

Separation: 36.5 arc minutes

Distance: Shaula 570 ight years Lesath 580 +/- 20 light years

IMAGE INFORMATION

OPTICS: 6" f5 Orion Optics Reflector with Televue Paracorr working at 5.75

CAMERA: QSI 583 WS  

FILTERS: Baader LRGB

MOUNT: Sky Watcher NEQ6

SKY CONDITIONS: rural skies with some clouds

EXPOSURES: RGB (30,30,30)

OBJECT DESCRIPTION AND IMAGE SESSION

At the end of the Scorpion tail we will find a graceful pattern of stars: Shaula and Lesath. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, Scorpius will be in your southern sky. In the picture Shaula is the star on the left and Lesath at the low right. These two noticeable stars are referred to as the Stinger of Scorpius, and sometimes the Cat’s Eyes. For many observers it is a good reference or starting point to find other objects. These two stars form a straight imaginary line towards Messier 7. 

After Antares, Shaula is the second brightest star system in the Scorpius constellation and one of the brightest star of the night sky. Its name comes from the Arabic language meaning "the raised" as it is found in the tail of the scorpion. Is the primary of a multiple star system consisting of two B-type stars and a pre-main sequence star. Lesath from the Arabic was lately understood as the "foggy patch". There are measurements indicating that Lesath is a super-giant with a luminosity of 12.300 times our Sun.