The AsterNym star registry
Shama
Shama: the warm orange star of Leo
warm orange · Leo · HD 99109
Shama is a warm orange giant, far along its stellar life in the constellation Leo, one of the few thousand stars bright enough to carry an officially recognised name. It rewards a pair of binoculars on a clear night.
Most stars in the sky are anonymous points of light. Shama is not — it has held a name across generations of sky-watchers, which makes it a rare thing to attach a name of your own to.
Real star · Personal dedication · Recorded in the AsterNym registry
See what a dedicated page looks like — preview
Shama at a glance
- Constellation
- Leo
- Other name
- HD 99109
- Catalogue number
- HIP 55664
- Distance
- ≈ 163 light-years
- Brightness
- Magnitude 9.10 telescope
- Star type
- K0
- Colour
- warm orange
- Best seen from
- Almost everywhere on Earth
- Right ascension
- 11h 24m 17s
- Declination
- −01° 31′ 45″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Shama dedication represent?
Shama is especially meaningful for someone who:
- · Deserves something older than any gift shop
- · Marks a beginning, an anniversary or a promise
- · Is remembered every time you look up
- · Has a light you want recorded somewhere permanent
Dedication idea
“For the one I think of when I find Leo in the sky.”
Where can you see Shama?
It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
Shama belongs to Leo.
Dedicate Shama to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Shama dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Shama's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Shama keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Shama
- Is Shama the brightest star?
- Shama shines at magnitude 9.10 — a binocular-and-telescope star, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Shama?
- Shama is approximately 163 light-years from Earth. The light reaching us tonight began its journey around 163 years ago.
- Which constellation contains Shama?
- Shama is part of Leo.
- Can everyone see Shama?
- It sits near the celestial equator, so nearly every inhabited latitude gets a view of it at some point in the year.
- Is dedicating Shama an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Shama keeps its internationally recognised astronomical name. An AsterNym dedication records your personal name and message in the AsterNym registry without changing the star's scientific identity.