Alshain is the fainter of the two stars flanking Altair in Aquila, a yellow star that has begun to grow larger than the Sun as it ages.
At a glance
| type | yellow star (class G) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 44.7 light-years (13.7 pc) |
| its light left it | 44.7 years ago |
| luminosity | 6.49 × the Sun |
| radius | 3.01 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 5,310 K |
| constellation | Aquila (Eagle) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Alshain
The card calls it a yellow star of class G. It is a little cooler than the Sun but clearly wider, with a matching gain in brightness: the signs of a star that is leaving the main sequence and starting to expand.
Alshain is Beta Aquilae. Its name shares a Persian origin with Tarazed’s, from a phrase describing the eagle as a falcon. Together with Altair the two make a short line that is the easiest key to the constellation.
What you see in the piece
Unlike Tarazed, Alshain really is a close neighbour of Altair in space as well as on the sky. Fly out and the trio of stars breaks up, with Tarazed falling far behind the other two.
Questions
How far away is Alshain?
Alshain is 44.7 light-years (13.7 pc) from the Sun, so the light reaching us now left it 44.7 years ago.