Alsephina is a white star in Vela, the sails of the ship Argo, the closest of the four stars of the False Cross and the one whose name means the ship.
At a glance
| type | white star (class A) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 80.6 light-years (24.7 pc) |
| its light left it | 80.6 years ago |
| luminosity | 108 × the Sun |
| radius | 4 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 9,300 K |
| constellation | Carina (Keel) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Alsephina
The facts describe a hot white star, brighter and larger than the Sun. It is in fact a multiple system, and its main pair is an eclipsing binary: the two stars pass in front of each other, and the combined light dips when they do.
The name is from the Arabic for a ship. With Avior, Aspidiske and Markeb it forms the False Cross, which is often confused with the true Southern Cross further east.
What you see in the piece
In the piece it sits much nearer to the Sun than its partners in the False Cross; fly out and the cross collapses into stars at quite unrelated distances.
Questions
How far away is Alsephina?
Alsephina is 80.6 light-years (24.7 pc) away; its light left it 80.6 years ago.