Almach marks the foot of Andromeda and is one of the finest double stars in the sky, a bright orange star with a small blue companion beside it.
At a glance
| type | orange giant (class K) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 393 light-years (120 pc) |
| its light left it | 393 years ago |
| luminosity | 4,190 × the Sun |
| radius | 135 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 4,000 K |
| constellation | Andromeda (Chained Maiden) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Almach
Through a small telescope Almach splits into a famous colour contrast: a bright orange star of class K, swollen far beyond the Sun, and a fainter blue companion close beside it. The blue companion is itself a close multiple, so the whole system contains at least four stars, bound together across a span much wider than the Solar System.
The name comes from the Arabic for the caracal, a desert lynx, from an old Arabic figure in this part of the sky. In the Greek figure Almach marks the foot of the chained princess, at the far end of the line that runs from Alpheratz through Mirach.
What you see in the piece
From Earth the whole system is one point. Fly to it in the piece and the stars of the system separate, their colours set by their very different temperatures.
Questions
Why is Almach a famous double star?
A small telescope splits it into an orange star and a blue companion, one of the most striking colour contrasts among double stars.
How far away is Almach?
Almach is 393 light-years (120 pc) from the Sun.