Alya is a white star at the end of the serpent’s tail in Serpens, and a lovely double, two matched stars side by side in a small telescope.
At a glance
| type | white star (class A) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 155 light-years (47.4 pc) |
| its light left it | 155 years ago |
| luminosity | 30 × the Sun |
| radius | 2.73 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 8,180 K |
| constellation | Serpens (Serpent) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Alya
Alya, Theta Serpentis, is a white class A star, larger and more luminous than the Sun. A small telescope shows it as a wide pair of very similar white stars.
Serpens is the one constellation split in two: the Serpent Bearer holds it across his body, with the head on one side and the tail on the other. Alya marks the very end of the tail, near Aquila. Its name comes from the Arabic for the fat tail of a sheep.
What you see in the piece
In the piece the pair shows as one point until you fly close to it.
Questions
How far away is Alya?
Alya is 155 light-years (47.4 pc) from the Sun.