Algenib is the hot blue-white star at the south-eastern corner of the Great Square of Pegasus, faintest of its four corners and the most powerful.
At a glance
| type | blue-white star (class B) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 392 light-years (120 pc) |
| its light left it | 392 years ago |
| luminosity | 6,490 × the Sun |
| radius | 5.55 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 22,000 K |
| constellation | Pegasus (Winged Horse) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Algenib
Algenib is a class B star much hotter than the Sun, a massive star near the end of its hydrogen-burning life. It is a Beta Cephei variable: its whole body pulsates in a few hours, and its brightness flickers by a small amount as it does. Because it is so luminous, it still looks bright from Earth despite lying much farther away than the other corners of the Square.
The name comes from the Arabic for the side or flank, and it has been applied to more than one star; Mirfak in Perseus carried the same name in older catalogues. In the figure, Algenib marks the corner of the horse’s body nearest Andromeda’s line of stars, completing the Square with Markab, Scheat and Alpheratz.
What you see in the piece
From Earth Algenib sits at the same apparent size as its neighbours in the Square. In the piece it lies well behind them, and as you fly past the box the corner drops away into the distance.
Questions
What kind of star is Algenib?
Algenib is a hot blue-white star of class B, about 6,490 times as luminous as the Sun, with a surface temperature of 22,000 K.