Alnair is the brightest star of Grus, the crane, a hot blue-white star whose Arabic name means the bright one and which navigators still use.
At a glance
| type | blue-white star (class B) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 101 light-years (31 pc) |
| its light left it | 101 years ago |
| luminosity | 382 × the Sun |
| radius | 3.85 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 13,000 K |
| constellation | Grus (Crane) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Alnair
It is a blue-white star of class B, hotter and far more luminous than the Sun, and it spins rapidly. It is fairly close by, which is why it shines so brightly in a constellation of modest stars.
Its name comes from the Arabic al-nayyir, “the bright one”, shortened from a phrase describing it as the bright star of the fish’s tail, from the days when Grus was part of Piscis Austrinus. It is one of the stars used for celestial navigation.
What you see in the piece
Alnair and Tiaki look like neighbours in the crane, one blue-white and one red. The piece draws each in its own colour, and in depth Tiaki lies further off.
Questions
What is the brightest star in Grus?
The brightest star in Grus is Alnair, Alpha Gruis, a blue-white star 101 light-years (31 pc) from the Sun.