Alpha Sculptoris

Alpha Sculptoris, Latinized from α Sculptoris, is the Bayer designation for a blue-white star in the southern constellation of Sculptor. It has an apparent visual magnitude of +4.30,^[2] which makes it the brightest star in this generally faint constellation. Parallax measurements collected during the Hipparcos mission provide a distance estimate for this star, placing it at roughly 780 light-years (240 parsecs), with a 4% margin of error.^[1]

Light curves in four photometric bands for Alpha Sculptoris, adapted from Manfroid and Renson (1994)^[12]

α Sculptoris

Location of α Sculptoris (circled)
Observation data Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation	Sculptor
Right ascension	00h 58m 36.35930s[1]
Declination	−29° 21′ 26.8247″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V)	+4.30[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type	B7 IIIp[3]
U−B color index	−0.515[4]
B−V color index	−0.155[4]
Variable type	SX Ari[5]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)	+10.2[2] km/s
Proper motion (μ)	RA: +20.13[1] mas/yr Dec.: +5.31[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)	4.20±0.18 mas[1]
Distance	780 ± 30 ly (240 ± 10 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)	−2.58[6]
Details
Mass	5.01[7] M☉
Radius	7.52[8] R☉
Luminosity	1,549[7] L☉
Surface gravity (log g)	3.20[9] cgs
Temperature	13,600[9] K
Metallicity [Fe/H]	0.90[10] dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)	17[9] km/s
Age	93[7] Myr
Other designations
α Scl, CD−30°297, FK5 35, HD 5737, HIP 4577, HR 280, SAO 166716[11]
Database references
SIMBAD	data

Alpha Sculptoris is a B-type giant star. It is classified as an SX Arietis type variable star and its magnitude varies by less than a tenth of a magnitude.^[5]

The luminosity of α Scl is around 1,500 times that of the Sun while its surface temperature is 13,600 K. The radius of Alpha Sculptoris is calculated to be seven times solar while its mass is five times that of the Sun.