Acamar is a white star in the southern course of Eridanus, a fine double whose name means the end of the river, a title it held before Achernar.
At a glance
| type | white star (class A) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 161 light-years (49.4 pc) |
| its light left it | 161 years ago |
| luminosity | 165 × the Sun |
| radius | 6 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 8,450 K |
| constellation | Eridanus (River) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Acamar
Acamar is a class A star, white and more luminous than the Sun. A small telescope splits it into a close pair of white stars, one of the best doubles in the southern sky.
The name comes from the Arabic for the end of the river, the same phrase from which Achernar takes its name. In the classical star catalogues the river ended at Acamar, because Achernar lay too far south to be seen from the Mediterranean; when the far southern sky was charted, the river was extended and the name of its end passed on. It is one of the stars listed for celestial navigation.
What you see in the piece
In the piece Acamar is a white point well south in the river. Fly close and the double splits into two white stars.
Questions
What does Acamar mean?
Acamar comes from the Arabic for the end of the river: in classical times it was the last star of Eridanus visible from the Mediterranean.
How far away is Acamar?
Acamar is 161 light-years (49.4 pc) from the Sun.