Shaula: how to find it and when to see it
Shaula ranks 25th of the 74 bright stars on our list, at magnitude 1.62, in the constellation Scorpius.
You can see it from anywhere south of 53° N, and it's highest in the evening sky in July.
Shaula at a glance
- Constellation
- Scorpius
- Magnitude
- 1.62
- Rank on our list
- 25 of 74
- Hemisphere
- Southern
- Right ascension
- 17 h 34 min
- Declination
- 37.1° south
- Visible from
- south of 53° N
- Never sets
- south of 53° S
- Best evening
- July 30
- Name from
- Arabic
Where Shaula is in the sky
Shaula sits 37.1° south of the celestial equator, the line in the sky directly above Earth's equator, so it's in the southern half of the sky. Its right ascension is 17 h 34 min.
Right ascension works like longitude on the sky. It's counted in hours, and about one hour of it turns past you each hour of the night.
When and where to see Shaula
From the northern hemisphere
From 40° N, the latitude of New York, Madrid and Beijing, Shaula rises in the south-east, climbs to 13° above the horizon in the south and sets in the south-west.
It's in the evening sky from July to August, and it's highest in the evening around July 30, in summer.
From the southern hemisphere
From 34° S, the latitude of Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires, Shaula rises in the south-east, climbs to 87° above the horizon in the south and sets in the south-west.
It's in the evening sky from May to October, and it's highest in the evening around July 30, in winter.
How high Shaula climbs from each latitude
The evening is about 9 pm local time, or 10 pm in summer time, and later when the sky is still too bright. A star counts as in the evening sky when it's at least 10° above the horizon.
| Latitude | Visibility | Highest point | Evening sky |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60° N | Never rises | Below the horizon | None |
| 50° N | Rises and sets | 3° in the south | None |
| 40° N | Rises and sets | 13° in the south | Jul to Aug |
| 30° N | Rises and sets | 23° in the south | Jun to Sep |
| 20° N | Rises and sets | 33° in the south | Jun to Sep |
| Equator | Rises and sets | 53° in the south | May to Oct |
| 20° S | Rises and sets | 73° in the south | May to Oct |
| 34° S | Rises and sets | 87° in the south | May to Oct |
| 45° S | Rises and sets | 82° in the north | Apr to Nov |
What the name Shaula means
Shaula comes from the Arabic al-shawlāʾ, the raised tail. It marks the sting at the end of the scorpion's tail.
Keep the sky of a night that matters
Our star maps show the stars above any place, at the minute you choose, with the constellation lines drawn in. If Shaula was above the horizon that night, it's on your map, and we print it on museum-grade paper.
Questions about Shaula
Shaula is in Scorpius. It sits 37.1° south of the celestial equator, at a right ascension of 17 h 34 min.
Shaula is highest in the evening sky around July 30. That's summer in the northern hemisphere and winter in the southern hemisphere.
Yes, from anywhere south of 53° N. From 40° N, it climbs to 13° above the horizon in the south.
Shaula has a magnitude of 1.62, which ranks it 25th of the 74 bright stars on our list. Sirius looks about 17 times brighter.
Shaula comes from the Arabic al-shawlāʾ, the raised tail. It marks the sting at the end of the scorpion's tail.