Alnasl is an orange star at the tip of the Archer’s arrow in Sagittarius, the spout of the Teapot pointing towards the centre of the Galaxy.
At a glance
| type | orange star (class K) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 96.9 light-years (29.7 pc) |
| its light left it | 96.9 years ago |
| luminosity | 62.4 × the Sun |
| radius | 9.93 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 5,150 K |
| constellation | Sagittarius (Archer) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Alnasl
Alnasl, Gamma Sagittarii, is an orange star of class K, larger than the Sun and many times as luminous, with a cooler surface.
Its name comes from the Arabic for the point, the head of the arrow the Archer aims at the Scorpion. In the modern Teapot it is the spout, and just beyond it, behind thick dust, lies the centre of the Milky Way.
What you see in the piece
Turn on the infrared band and the dust beyond the spout clears to show the crowded stars towards the galactic centre; Alnasl itself lies very near, in the foreground.
Questions
Where is the centre of the Milky Way?
In the direction of Sagittarius, just beyond Alnasl, the spout of the Teapot. Alnasl itself is only 96.9 light-years (29.7 pc) away, far in front of it.