Alpherg is a yellow giant and the brightest star of Pisces, a faint zodiac constellation; its name comes from the Arabic for the spout of a water bucket.
At a glance
| type | yellow giant (class G) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 350 light-years (107 pc) |
| its light left it | 350 years ago |
| luminosity | 432 × the Sun |
| radius | 24.6 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 5,310 K |
| constellation | Pisces (Fishes) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Alpherg
Alpherg is a class G giant, the colour of the Sun but far larger and more luminous: a star that has finished its core hydrogen and swollen. Pisces has no bright stars at all, and this modest point is the brightest it has.
Its name comes from an Arabic lunar mansion describing the spout of a water bucket, an older picture laid over the same stars.
What you see in the piece
The faint figure of Pisces barely shows in the piece unless the sky is dark. Alpherg is a pale yellow point, and like the rest of the Fishes it lies at its own distance, unrelated to the others.
Questions
What is the brightest star in Pisces?
Alpherg, Eta Piscium, is the brightest star of Pisces, a yellow giant 350 light-years (107 pc) away.