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Proper Names	Schedir, Schedar, Shedir
Bayer Designation	Alpha Cassiopeiae
Flamsteed Number	18 Cassiopeiae
HR (BSC)	168
HD	3712
Constellation	Cassiopeia
Right Ascension	0h 40m 30s
Declination	+56° 32' 14"
Distance	228 light years 70 parsecs
Magnitude	Apparent: +2.3 Absolute: -2.0
Spectral Class	K0-IIIa Orange Giant
Optimum Visibility	October (Usually visible from northern latitudes)

One of the five stars that form the famous 'W' of Cassiopeia. Though it is designated 'Alpha', it is not in fact the brightest of the five - that distinction belongs to neighbouring Cih. Schedar is an orange giant of variable magnitude, whose apparent brightness in the sky varies by 0.07 of a magnitude over a regular period.

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