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Alpha Lacertae may be the brightest of the stars
in the constellation of Lacerta, but it
has little competition among this faint group - its apparent magnitude is just +3.8.
It lies more than a hundred light years from the
Solar System.
Physically, Alpha Lacertae is a main sequence star and,
like most stars (including our own Sun), generates energy
through the fusion of hydrogen into helium. It is, however, about ten times as massive as the Sun,
and consequently much more luminous. It has a high surface temperature of c.10,000 K,
and so shines with a fierce white light. Alpha Lacertae is a binary
system: the main white star has an
orbiting companion, which is much fainter at magnitude +12.0.
From Earth, Alpha Lacerta lies in the northern part of its home constellation
of Lacerta, against the backdrop of the Milky Way.
It can prove difficult to pick out, since it is not noticeably brighter than many of its neighbouring stars;
it forms the second point in the descending 'zig-zag' that forms the backbone of the Lizard.
Lacerta itself occupies the faint space between Andromeda
and Cygnus, and is best observed in August and September.
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